HEROES    OF 
AMERICAN    HISTORY 


DE     BALBOA 


VASCO    NUNEZ    1)E    BALBOA 


VASCO  NUNEZ  DE  BALBOA 


BY 

FREDERICK    A.    OBER 


HEROES  OF  AMERICAN   HISTORY 


ILLUSTRATED 


HARPER    &   BROTHERS   PUBLISHERS 

NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 

1906 


Copyright,  1906,  by  HARPER  &  BROTHERS. 

All  rights  reserved. 
Published  October,  1906. 


CONTENTS 


202- 


CHAP. 

I.  THE  MAN-OF-THE-BARREL 

II.  LEADER  OF  A  FORLORN  HOPE 

III.  BALBOA  ASSERTS  His  SUPREMACY 

IV.  BALBOA  CAPTURES  A  PRINCESS 

V.  THE  CACIQUES  OF  DARIEN  .... 

VI.  FIRST  TIDINGS  OF  THE  PACIFIC    . 

VII.  A  SEARCH  FOR  THE  GOLDEN  TEMPLE 

VIII.  CONSPIRACY  OF  THE  CACIQUES 

IX.  How  THE   CONSPIRACY  WAS  DEFEATED 

X.  DISSENSIONS  IN  THE  COLONY  .... 

XI.  BALBOA  STRENGTHENS  His  ARM 

XII.  THE   QUEST  FOR   THE   AUSTRAL   OCEAN 

XIII.  ON  THE  SHORES  OF  THE  PACIFIC 

XIV.  A  RIVAL  IN  THE  FIELD  . 

XV.  PEDRARIAS,  THE  SCOURGE  OF  DARIEN 

XVI.  IN  THE  DOMAIN  OF  THE  DRAGONS 

XVII.  A  COMPACT  WITH  THE  ENEMY 

XVIII.  BUILDING  THE  BRIGANTINES     .... 

XIX.  IMPRISONED  AND  IN  CHAINS     .... 

XX.  THE  END  OF  VASCO  NUNEZ  DE  BALBOA 


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M593451 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA Frontispiece 

PANAMA,     DARIEN,     AND    THE     SOUTH     SEA     .    Facing  p.          I 

BALBOA    CARRIED    ON    SHIPBOARD          ...  "               16 

VILLAGE    ON    RIVER    OF    DARIEN       ....  "               52 

BALBOA    AND    THE    INDIAN    PRINCESS         .        .  "               68 

QUARREL    FOR    THE    GOLD "              84 

DISCOVERY    OF    THE    PACIFIC "            170 

EXECUTION    OF    BALBOA "            374 


SOURCES    OF    INFORMATION 

While  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa  may  be  reckoned 
among  the  greatest  of  the  minor  explorers,  yet  less  has 
been  written  of  him,  perhaps,  than  of  any  other  in  his 
class  except  Juan  Ponce  de  Leon.  Both  names  are 
familiar  to  every  student  of  history,  both  are  well 
known  even  to  the  casual  reader;  but  both  have  been 
strangely  neglected  by  the  biographer. 

The  only  complete  biography  of  Balboa  (it  was 
declared  by  an  authority  several  years  ago) ,  is  that  of 
Don  Manuel  Jose'  de  Quintana,  who,  between  the  years 
1807  and  1834,  published  his  "Spanish  Plutarch," 
or  Vidas  de  Espanoles  Celebres.  This  work  is  consider 
ed  a  classic,  and  its  author  (who  was  born  in  Madrid, 
1772,  and  died  in  1857)  lived  to  see  it  receive  high 
praise,  and  some  of  its  subjects  honored  by  translation 
into  other  languages  than  his  own  vernacular.  An 
English  edition,  of  Balboa  and  Pizarro,  from  Quintana's 
Celebrated  Spaniards,  was  published  in  London,  1832, 
as  translated  by  Mrs.  Margaret  Hodson,  and  dedicated 
to  Robert  Southey,  then  England's  poet-laureate. 

But  there  is  much  material  elsewhere  to  be  found 
pertaining  to  Balboa,  as  well  as  to  Pizarro,  and  no  lack 
of  original  documents,  such  as  letters  that  passed  be 
tween  Vasco  Nufiez  and  the  Spanish  crown,  in  the  years 
1513, 1514  and  1515.  Mention  is  made  of  Balboa  by  all 
the  early  Spanish  writers,  of  course,  such  as  Martyr, 
Herrera,  and  Oviedo,  the  last  named  having  been  per 
sonally  acquainted  with  him,  as  well  as  with  Pedrarias, 
Pizarro,  and  all  those  who  were  concerned  in  the  ex 
ploration  and  settlement  of  Darien,  Panama,  and  Peru. 
Though  Oviedo's  great  work,  the  Historia  Natural  y 
General  de  las  Indias,  remained  in  manuscript  during 
three  centuries,  Quintana  had  free  access  to  it  and  ex 
tracted  much  that  was  interesting  and  valuable. 


VASCO 
NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 


PANAMA,    DARIEN,    AND    THE    SOUTH    SEA 


VASCO 
NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 


THE    MAN-OF-THE-BARREL 
I475-I5IO 

OOMETIME  in  the  summer  of  the  year 
O  1501  there  landed  on  the  southern  coast 
of  Santo  Domingo  one  of  the  strangest  ex 
peditions  that  ever  visited  its  shores.  It 
was  commanded  by  one  Rodrigo  de  Bastidas, 
a  rich  notary  of  Seville,  in  Old  Spain,  who  had 
become  imbued  with  a  passion  for  adventure, 
and  so  set  forth,  with  a  company  contained 
in  two  caravels,  over  the  route  followed  by 
Christopher  Columbus  in  his  third  voyage  to 
America.  As  he  was  guided  by  the  skilled 
pilot  Juan  de  la  Cosa,  who  had  been  with 
Columbus  in  the  West  Indies,  his  voyage  was 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

in  every  respect  successful,  save  in  its  end 
ing.  It  included  the  entire  length  of  Terra 
Firma  (as  the  north  coast  of  South  America 
was  then  called),  from  the  Gulf  of  Maracaibo 
to  the  Isthmus  of  Darien,  whence,  after  prof 
itable  bartering  with  the  Indians,  Bastidas 
set  sail  for  Spain. 

He  had  sought  traffic  only,  and  not  con 
quest,  hence  had  been  everywhere  received 
with  open  arms  by  the  natives,  who  poured 
out  their  treasures  of  gold  and  pearls  most 
lavishly,  so  that  he  and  all  his  comrades  were 
enriched.  Only  one  other  venture  to  this 
region,  that  of  Pedro  Nino,  the  year  previous, 
had  yielded  such  rich  returns,  and  it  was  with 
exultation  that  the  members  of  this  expedi 
tion  turned  the  prows  of  their  caravels  home 
ward.  When  half-way  across  the  Caribbean 
Sea,  however,  they  discovered,  to  their  great 
alarm,  that  their  vessels  were  leaking  in  every 
part,  and  upon  investigation  found  the  hulls 
full  of  holes,  made  by  the  destructive  teredo, 
or  ship-worm,  the  existence  of  which  they 
had  not  suspected.  The  nearest  land  was  the 
island  of  Santo  Domingo,  then  known  as 
Hispaniola,  and,  bearing  up  for  it,  they  found 
a  harbor  in  the  Bay  of  Ocoa.  The  caravels 
were  hardly  kept  afloat  until  this  haven  was 


THE    MAN-OF-THE-BARREL 

reached,  and  foundered  in  port  before  their 
cargoes  were  landed.  All  the  arms  and 
ammunition  aboard,  as  well  as  much  of  the 
provisions,  went  down  with  the  vessels;  but 
no  lives  were  lost,  and  the  most  precious  por 
tion  of  the  cargoes  was  saved,  to  the  last 
pearl  and  nugget  of  gold. 

The  governor  of  Santo  Domingo  at  that 
time  was  Don  Francisco  de  Bobadilla,  who, 
though  but  a  year  or  so  in  office,  had  already 
committed  irreparable  wrongs  upon  the  na 
tives  of  the  island.  But  a  few  months  had 
elapsed  since  he  had  sent  Christopher  Co 
lumbus  and  his  brothers  home  to  Spain  in 
chains.  Having  sequestrated  their  effects, 
he  was  rapidly  squandering  his  ill  -  gotten 
wealth,  and  actually  living  in  the  old  ad 
miral's  castle. 

One  hot  midsummer  day,  as  Governor 
Bobadilla  was  enjoying  his  siesta,  or  noon 
day  nap,  he  was  rudely  awakened  by  one 
of  his  mounted  scouts,  who  had  ridden  all 
night  and  all  morning,  coming  in  from  the 
westward.  Pushing  aside  the  sentinel  on 
duty  in  the  lower  court,  he  sprang  up  the 
stone  stairs  with  jangling  spurs,  and,  making 
his  way  to  the  balcony  overlooking  the 
river  Ozama,  where  the  governor's  ham- 
3 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

mock  was  swung,  he  exclaimed:  "Your  ex 
cellency,  I  have  dire  news  to  report.  It 
calls  for  immediate  action,  too,  hence  my 
intrusion  upon  your  privacy." 

"Ha!  it  must  be  pressing,  indeed,"  re 
plied  the  governor,  testily,  rubbing  his  eyes 
and  at  the  same  time  rolling  out  of  his  ham 
mock.  "  Know  you  not,  sirrah,  that  I  could 
have  you  swung  from  the  battlements — yea, 
dashed  to  the  pavement  of  the  court  below  ? 
Ho,  it  is  Enrique!  Pardon  me,  man,  I 
thought  it  must  be  some  varlet  of  the  ad 
miral's  scurvy  gang.  No  chances  lose  the 
Colombinos  [partisans  of  Columbus]  to  in 
vade  my  castle  and  seek  to  press  home  their 
claims,  perchance  their  rusty  blades!  But 
proceed.  What  is  it,  Enrique?" 

"Your  excellency,  three  bands  of  lawless 
adventurers,  under  one  Bastidas  and  the 
pilot  Juan  de  la  Cosa,  are  marching  through 
the  country,  with  intent,  most  probably,  of 
attacking  the  capital.  Each  band  is  pro 
vided  with  a  coffer  rilled  with  gold  and 
pearls,  which  they  are  bestowing  upon  the 
Indians  in  exchange  for  provisions.  They 
are  committing  no  ravage,  being  in  the  main 
unarmed;  but  I  thought  your  excellency 
should  be  informed,  and  so  have  come,  as 
4 


THE    MAN-OF-THE-BARREL 

you  see,  all  the  way  from  Azua,  without 
rest." 

"  As  a  faithful  retainer,  Enrique,  you  have 
done  well,  and  shall  receive  your  reward. 
They  can  do  no  harm,  doubtless,  since  we 
are  here  in  force;  but,  laden  with  gold  and 
pearls,  say  you?" 

"Yes,  your  excellency,  rioting  in  wealth, 
which  they  have  obtained  in  Terra  Finna. 
Not  a  man  among  them  that  has  not  great 
store." 

"  Ha !  They  come  most  opportunely,  then, 
for  this  island  of  Hispaniola  is  wellnigh 
drained  of  its  riches,  what  with  the  ravages 
of  Roldan's  men  and  the  license  permitted 
by  Bartolome  Colon.  Their  wealth  is,  with 
out  doubt,  ill-gotten,  and  we  must  see  what 
can  be  done  with  it.  Trading  without  per 
mission,  whether  on  Terra  Firma  or  in  the 
isles,  is  a  serious  offence." 

"But,  excellency,  the  commander  of  the 
expedition  is  Rodrigo  Bastidas,  a  lawyer  of 
note  in  Seville,  and  he  claims  to  have  had  per 
mission  from  the  sovereigns.  He  conies  not 
with  intent  to  trade  in  this  island,  so  he  says, 
but,  his  vessels  having  foundered,  he  desires 
only  assistance  to  proceed  home  to  Spain." 

"And  he  shall  get  it,  forsooth;  but  not  of 
5 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

the  sort  he  may  crave.  A  lawyer,  say  you  ? 
Well,  since  I  have  already  incarcerated  an 
admiral,  an  adelantado,  and  the  governor  of 
this  very  city  of  Santo  Domingo,  it  seems 
not  reasonable  that  I  shall  be  bearded  by  a 
bachelor!  The  dungeon  awaits  him,  and 
there  is  a  place  in  my  treasury  for  his  store 
of  gold  and  pearls,  until  it  shall  be  shown 
that  the  royal  fifth  is  secure.  Go  now  and 
call  the  captain  of  the  guard.  Tell  it  not 
in  the  town;  but  I  shall  have  my  soldiers 
ready  to  arrest  these  marauders  the  mo 
ment  they  arrive." 

The  avaricious  Bobadilla  kept  his  word  to 
the  letter,  for  when,  the  next  night,  his  ship 
wrecked  countrymen  arrived  within  sight  of 
the  city,  they  were  met  by  an  armed  force 
and  conducted,  weak  and  famishing  as  they 
were,  to  the  prison-pen,  where  they  were 
herded  like  cattle.  The  rank  and  file  were 
soon  released,  and  allowed  to  wander  at  will 
about  the  island,  but  Bastidas  and  La  Cosa 
were  kept  immured  for  many  months.  In 
June  or  July  of  the  next  year  they  were 
placed  on  board  one  of  the  ships  comprising 
the  large  fleet  collected  by  the  governor  to 
accompany  him  to  Spain.  Bobadilla  em 
barked  in  another  vessel,  at  the  same  time, 
6 


THE    MAN-OF-THE-BARREL 

but  lost  his  life  in  a  hurricane,  which  sank 
nearly  every  ship  in  his  fleet.1 

The  vessel  containing  Bastidas  and  La 
Cosa  survived  the  tempest,  and  they  safely 
arrived  in  Spain  with  the  greater  portion  of 
their  treasure.  Both  received  high  honors 
at  the  hands  of  their  sovereign,  and  returned 
to  the  scenes  of  their  discoveries,  on  the 
coast  of  Terra  Firma,  where  the  gallant  pilot 
was  killed  by  a  poisoned  arrow.  Bastidas 
was  appointed  governor  of  Santa  Mart  a, 
where,  because  he  treated  the  Indians  justly 
and  took  their  part  against  his  ferocious 
followers,  he  was  assassinated  by  some  of 
his  own  men.  His  remains  were  taken  to 
Santo  Domingo,  and  in  its  cathedral  is  a 
chapel  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  "the 
Adelantado  Rodrigo  de  Bastidas,"  who,  to 
gether  with  his  wife  and  child,  there  sleeps 
his  last,  in  a  tomb  elaborately  carved,  as  at 
tested  by  an  inscription  on  the  chapel  wall. 

While  the  adventures  of  the  humane  Bas 
tidas  were  sufficiently  interesting  to  attract 

1  This  was  the  hurricane  predicted  by  Columbus,  as 

narrated  in  his  Life  by  the  author  of  this  biography, 

and  it  occurred  in  1502.     For  the  further  adventures  of 

La  Cosa,  see  the  Life  of  Amerigo  Vespucci,  in  this  series. 

7 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

attention  at  the  time  of  their  occurrence, 
they  might,  possibly,  have  escaped  the  his 
torian  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  they 
were  shared  by  a  man  whose  subsequent 
fortunes  were  identified  with  one  of  the  great 
est  events  in  American  history.  This  man 
was  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  who  enlisted 
under  Bastidas  at  Seville,  and  accompanied 
him  throughout  the  voyage,  with  its  con 
sequent  disasters.  He  was  then  an  obscure 
individual,  known  only  as  a  dependant  of 
Don  Pedro  Puertocarrero,  the  mighty  lord 
of  Moguer.  He  was  not  a  native  of  Moguer 
(that  town  near  Palos  so  closely  identified 
with  Columbus  and  the  discovery  of  America) , 
but  came  from  Xeres  de  los  Caballeros,  where 
his  family  was  respected,  though  poor  and 
untitled. 

No  mention  is  made  of  Balboa  in  the  an 
nals  of  the  voyage,  nor  for  years  after  the 
disbanding  of  the  company  at  Santo  Do 
mingo  do  we  find  anything  respecting  the 
man  who  possessed  those  transcendent  qual 
ities  that  later  marked  him  as  a  born  leader 
of  men.  He  was  probably  one  of  the  un 
fortunates  let  loose  upon  the  island  when 
Bastidas  was  imprisoned  by  Bobadilla.  At 
that  time  he  was  about  twenty-six  years  of 
8 


THE    MAN-OF-THE-BARREL 

age,  having  been  born  in  1475.  He  was  tall 
and  robust,  with  a  handsome,  prepossessing 
countenance,  and  was  one  of  the  most  ex 
pert  swordsmen  and  archers  in  the  island. 

"His  singular  vigor  of  frame,"  says  his 
Spanish  biographer,  Quintana,  "  rendered  him 
capable  of  any  degree  of  fatigue;  his  was 
the  strongest  lance,  his  was  the  surest  ar 
row  in  the  company;  but  his  habits  were 
loose  and  prodigal,  though  his  nature  was 
generous,  his  manners  extremely  affable." 

He  was,  probably,  just  an  average  "sol 
dier  of  fortune,"  and,  finding  Santo  Do 
mingo  well  suited  to  his  tastes,  took  what 
came  to  him  from  his  share  in  the  voyage 
with  Bastidas  and  spent  it  in  riotous  living. 
This  one-time  Indian  Eden,  or  paradise,  had 
been  converted,  by  the  passions  of  depraved 
men,  into  an  abode  fit  only  for  the  ruffian 
and  libertine.  With  the  farms  and  planta 
tions  assigned  the  new-coming  settlers  went 
large  encomiendas,  or  slave -gangs,  of  unfort 
unate  Indians,  who  belonged  to  their  mas 
ter  utterly  so  long  as  they  remained  subject 
to  his  control.  At  the  time  of  Balboa's  ad 
vent  the  system  was  at  its  worst,  for  Boba- 
dilla,  knowing  that  his  time  was  short,  en 
couraged  every  Spaniard  to  make  the  most 
9 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

of  his  opportunities.  Thus  the  poor  Indians 
were  worked  beyond  the  limit  of  endurance, 
and  died  by  thousands;  thus  the  white  men 
took  to  oppression  as  a  matter  of  course,  and 
became  as  fiends  in  human  shape,  with  no 
regard  for  morals,  for  humanity,  or  the 
rights  of  their  fellow-men. 

Yet,  with  all  the  opportunities  presumably 
given  Balboa  for  acquiring  a  fortune,  we  find 
him,  after  several  years  in  the  island,  deep 
in  debt  and  seeking  to  avoid  his  creditors 
by  flight.  The  first  authentic  notice  of  this 
former  companion  of  Bastidas  appears  in  a 
reference  to  him,  in  general  terms,  in  the 
year  1510.  At  that  time,  four  years  after 
the  death  of  Christopher  Columbus,  his  only 
legitimate  son,  Don  Diego,  was  governor  of 
Santo  Domingo  and  viceroy  of  the  Indies. 
He  had  succeeded  to  the  incompetent  Boba- 
dilla  and  the  atrocious  Ovando,  who  had 
left  the  island  in  such  terrible  condition  that 
all  his  great  energies  were  required  to  bring 
it  under  control. 

Besides  seeking  to  renovate  the  impov 
erished  plantations  and  ameliorate  the  con 
dition  of  the  Indians,  Don  Diego  also  under 
took  the  investigation  of  Santo  Domingo's 
resources,  and  explorations  in  various  regions 
10 


THE    MAN-OF-THE-BARREL 

of  the  Caribbean.  He  was  especially  inter 
ested  in  the  development  of  Terra  Firma, 
and  encouraged  expeditions  thither,  among 
them  being  the  venture  of  Alonso  de  Ojeda, 
who,  on  one  of  his  voyages,  was  accompa 
nied  by  Francisco  Pizarro,  then  unknown,  but 
destined  to  become  the  conqueror  of  Peru. 
On  his  third  voyage  to  Terra  Firma,  Ojeda 
left  behind  him  in  Santo  Domingo  one  Mar 
tin  Fernandez  de  Enciso,  who  was  to  follow 
after  with  a  vessel  freighted  with  supplies 
and  reinforcements  for  a  colony  he  had 
founded  on  the  coast  of  Darien.  It  was  on 
the  occasion  of  Enciso 's  sailing  that  the 
reference,  already  alluded  to,  was  made  to 
Balboa  and  the  class  to  which  he  then  be 
longed:  delinquent  debtors  who  sought  to 
evade  their  obligations  by  flight.  Informa 
tion  having  reached  Don  Diego,  the  admi 
ral,  that  certain  reckless  men  of  this  class 
meditated  waylaying  Enciso 's  ship  when 
she  called  at  some  of  the  out-ports  for  final 
supplies,  he  issued  a  proclamation  com 
manding  them  to  desist  from  their  purpose, 
and  also  sent  an  armed  caravel  with  the  ves 
sel  to  escort  her  clear  of  the  coast. 

Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa  was  then  residing 
on  a  farm,  which  he  nominally  owned,  near 
ii 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

the  sea-coast  town  of  Salvatierra,  at  which 
place  Enciso  was  to  call  for  provisions.  In 
deed,  some  of  the  provisions  were  to  come 
from  Balboa's  farm,  and  his  own  Indians 
were  engaged  in  transporting  them  to  the 
sea-shore.  Late  one  afternoon,  it  is  said, 
as  Balboa  and  his  mayordomo,  or  chief  man, 
were  walking  on  the  sands  near  the  mouth 
of  the  river  that  flowed  through  his  farm, 
they  saw  Enciso 's  vessel  and  her  escort  stand 
ing  into  the  bay.  The  sun  was  then  not  far 
above  the  western  hills,  beyond  which  tow 
ered  the  cloud-capped  mountains  of  the  in 
terior,  where  lay  the  rugged  region  known 
as  the  Goldstone  Country.  The  craft  had 
scarcely  furled  their  sails  and  dropped  their 
anchors  ere  a  puff  of  smoke  shot  out  from 
the  larger  vessel,  followed  by  the  report  of 
a  cannon. 

"Ha!  that  means  haste!"  exclaimed  Bal 
boa.  "Bachelor  Enciso  is  desirous  that  we 
send  our  supplies  at  once,  so  that  he  may 
lade  to-night  and  sail  to-morrow  with  the 
morning  breeze." 

"Well,  master,"  said  the  mayordomo,  "so 
far  as  our  own  provisions  go,  we  are  ready 
for  him.  These  barrels  on  the  beach,  with 
what  the  Indians  are  now  bearing  hither  on 

12 


THE    MAN-OF-THE-BARREL 

the  road,  make  up  our  contribution  to  the 
cargo. " 

"Yes,  Miguel,"  answered  Balboa,  "as  thou 
sayest,  we  are  ready.  But,  notwithstand 
ing,  there  is  one  more  contribution  I  fain 
would  make  to  Bachelor  Enciso's  comple 
ment  of  soldiers,  as  well  as  add  to  his  cargo. 
Dost  understand  me,  Miguel  mio?" 

"I  have  heard,  master,  that  thou  art 
pressed  for  funds  of  late,  and  threatened 
with  imprisonment  provided  money  be  not 
forthcoming  for  thy  creditors." 

"That  is  it.  And  dost  know,  Miguel, 
whence  I  may  get  that  money — or,  what  is 
the  same  to  me  now,  how  I  may  evade  pay 
ment  for  a  while?" 

"As  to  the  dinero,  master — 'sooth,  I  know 
not  where  to  find  it;  for  if  I  did,  certain  thou 
shouldst  have  it.  As  to  evading  the  pay 
ment,  there  is  but  one  way  open,  and  that — 

"Lies  yonder,"  added  Balboa,  then  con 
tinued,  bitterly:  "Yet  it  is  not  open,  after 
all,  for  how  can  I  get  aboard  the  vessel? 
Don  Diego — and  may  the  devil  get  his  soul 
in  keeping,  say  I! — Don  Diego  has  sent  the 
caravel  to  prevent  the  escape  of  poor  men 
like  me  who  would  redeem  themselves  in 
a  far  country.  He  would  keep  us  here,  it 


VASCO   NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

seems,  to  rot  in  misery,  rather  than  afford 
us  a  chance  to  get  gold  for  the  payment  of 
our  debts." 

"Don  Diego  is  a  fool!"  exclaimed  the 
mayordomo.  "Yea,  and  so  is  the  Bachelor 
Enciso.  Faith,  if  we  cannot  outwit  them 
both,  thou  mayst  cut  off  my  head  and  stick 
it  on  a  pole!  When  canst  thou  be  ready, 
my  master?" 

"In  an  hour,  Miguel.  But  what  will  it 
avail?" 

"Say  no  more,  my  master,  but  go  to  the 
rancho,  and  return  to  the  beach  within  an 
hour  or  two.  It  were  better  if  after  dark; 
but  not  too  late  for  getting  aboard  the  ship." 

"Oh  no,  not  too  late  for  boarding  the 
ship,"  rejoined  Balboa,  derisively.  "  It  hath 
ever  been  that,  of  late.  But,  what  is  thy 
scheme,  Miguel?" 

"Let  not  that  concern  thee,  master.  Go 
thou,  and  remember  these  proverbs:  'When 
the  iron  is  hot,  then  is  the  time  to  strike'; 
and  'When  the  fool  has  made  up  his  mind, 
the  market  is  over!"' 

Balboa  laughed  lightly  as  he  hastened  away 

to  the  rancho,  whence  he  returned,  two  or 

three  hours  later,  accompanied  by  an  Indian 

porter  with  a  full  suit  of  armor  on  his  back, 

14 


THE    MAN-OF-THE-BARREL 

and  another  with  a  large  basket  containing 
articles  of  wearing  apparel. 

Miguel  was  standing  by  a  large  cask,  one 
end  of  which  was  open.  Directing  the  Ind 
ians  to  deposit  their  burdens  on  the  sand 
beside  the  cask,  he  sent  them  back  to  the 
rancho,  thus  leaving  himself  and  Balboa 
alone.  Not  far  away,  though  but  dimly  vis 
ible  in  the  starlit  night,  a  number  of  Indians 
were  rolling  casks  of  provisions  into  a  small 
boat  from  the  ship. 

"They  will  be  ready  for  this  in  about  an 
hour,"  said  the  mayordomo,  "so  I  fain  must 
pack  it  quickly.  What  thinkst  thou  of  thy 
quarters,  master  mine?" 

"  What  ?  Is  that  thy  scheme — to  send  me 
aboard  packed  like  pork  in  a  cask?  Never, 
Miguel!  The  stigma  would  cling  to  me  for 
ever!" 

"  Not  so  closely,  perhaps,  as  thy  creditors, 
my  master.  But  choose  thou,  and  quickly, 
for  time  is  no  laggard.  Meanwhile  thou'rt 
making  up  thy  mind,  I'll  pack  this  armor 
and  clothing  in  the  lower  end  of  the  cask. 
See,  now,  I  shall  secure  it  with  braces,  so  the 
armor  may  not  rattle ;  and  observe  thou  that 
there  are  holes,  which  I  have  bored  in  the 
sides,  to  give  thee  air.  Now,  when  quite 
15 


VASCO   NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

ready,  get  therein,  and  I  will  head  thee  up, 
my  master." 

"But,  Miguel,  suppose  the  cask  were  to 
turn  over?  With  the  weight  of  my  armor 
upon  me,  I  should  be  suffocated,  methinks." 

"  Nay,  master,  turned  over  thou  shalt  not 
be,  for  I  shall  give  instructions  to  the  crew 
to  keep  the  top-end  uppermost. " 

"  But  they  may  not  observe  them,"  groan 
ed  Balboa,  as  he  clambered  into  the  cask 
and  settled  himself  in  position. 

"They  will,  master;  trust  me,"  said  the 
faithful  Miguel.  "  In  the  lading,  they  may 
roll  thee  about  a  bit,  to  be  sure.  Still,  it 
will  be  better  than  to  be  squeezed  by  thy 
creditors." 

"Well,  as  thou  sayest,  Miguel.  In  I  go, 
perchance  to  a  living  tomb.  A  thousand 
ducats  for  thee,  Miguel,  if  the  venture  prove 
successful." 

"Ha!     But  when  do  I  get  it,  master?" 

"When  I  am  lord  of  Terra  Firma!  But 
stay,  Miguel.  There  is  Leoncico.  I  cannot, 
must  not,  leave  him  behind." 

"Truly  thou  sayest,"  replied  the  mayor- 

domo;   "but  for  the  hound  I  have  already 

provided.     He  goes   aboard  with   Salvador 

Gonzalez,  who,  also,  will  have  an  eye  on 

16 


THE    MAN-OF-THE-BARREL 

this  cask,  to  open  it  at  the  proper  time, 
which  cannot  be  till  to-morrow,  know  thou." 

"  Ah,  well!  get  me  aboard;  and  caution  the 
men  to  handle  me  carefully.  Adios,  Miguel, 
good  friend.  May  the  Lord  reward  thee." 

Enciso's  vessel  was  laden  by  midnight, 
and  before  dawn  of  the  next  morning  was 
well  in  the  offing,  from  the  shore  appearing 
a  mere  speck  upon  the  horizon.  The  bache 
lor  was  now  in  high  feather,  for  he  had,  as 
he  thought,  completely  outwitted  the  schem 
ing  debtors  of  the  island,  who  intended 
boarding  his  vessel,  and  had  dismissed  the 
armed  caravel  with  a  message  to  Don  Diego 
to  this  effect.  What,  then,  was  his  astonish 
ment,  about  mid-forenoon  of  the  first  day 
out,  to  be  confronted  by  a  mailed  apparition, 
in  the  person  of  the  most  notorious  debtor 
that  Santo  Domingo  had  known  —  Vasco 
Nunez  de  Balboa! 

Clad  in  full  armor,  with  his  good  Toledo 
blade  in  one  hand  and  the  famous  hound, 
Leoncico,  by  his  side,  the  soldier-colonist 
strode  aft  to  the  quarter-deck  where  En- 
ciso  was  standing.  He  had  been  released 
from  his  cramped  quarters  in  the  cask  by 
his  neighbor  Gonzalez,  guided  by  Leoncico, 
who  picked  out  his  master's  place  of  im- 
17 


VASCO    NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

prisonment  from  among  the  freightage  in 
the  vessel's  bows,  and  stood  by  solemnly 
until  he  was  freed. 

"Dios  mio!"  exclaimed  Balboa,  after  the 
head  of  the  cask  had  been  removed  and 
his  own  head  took  its  place.  "That  was  an 
experience  I  would  not  endure  again  for  an 
empire!  Give  me  to  eat,  friend  Salvador, 
and  something  to  drink,  for  of  a  truth  I  am 
perishing  of  hunger  and  thirst.  My  limbs, 
too,  are  as  stiff  as  a  stake,  so  rub  me  down, 
amigo,  and  then  help  me  on  with  my  armor." 


II 

LEADER  OF  A  FORLORN  HOPE 
1510 

WHEN  the  Bachelor  Enciso  beheld  Vasco 
Nunez  before  him,  even  though  the 
stowaway  removed  his  plumed  hat  and 
bowed  obsequiously  almost  to  the  deck,  he 
was  exceedingly  disturbed.  As  he  gazed, 
open-mouthed,  upon  the  handsome  counte 
nance  of  Balboa,  wreathed  as  it  was  with  a 
most  provoking  smile,  which  seemed  to  say, 
"Aha!  I  have  outwitted  you  at  last,"  his 
choler  rose,  so  that  at  first  he  could  not  find 
words  for  his  wrath. 

Finally  it  was  voiced,  and  he  poured  forth, 
upon  the  still  smiling  vagabond  in  armor 
before  him,  a  torrent  of  words  which,  since 
they  were  not  chosen  with  a  view  to  being 
reproduced  for  posterity  to  peruse,  will  not 
be  repeated  herewith.  Suffice  it  that,  when 
at  last  his  rage  and  his  vocabulary  were 
seemingly  exhausted,  he  was  somewhat  mol- 
19 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

lifted  by  Balboa's  single  remark:  "Well, 
Senor  Bachelor,  after  all,  the  island,  it 
seemeth,  has  losj;  a  bad  citizen,  while  you 
have  gained  a  good  soldier.  Yea,  two  good 
soldiers,  for  here  behold  my  hound,  Leoncico, 
who  will  do  more  than  one  man's  work,  I 


ween." 


"Scoundrel!"  sputtered  the  lawyer,  "what 
bad  citizen — and,  faith,  you  are  one — ever 
became  a  good  soldier?  I  have  a  mind- 
yea,  a  mind  almost  made  up  for  that — to 
leave  you  on  the  reefs  of  Roncador,  there 
to  subsist  on  such  as  the  sea  may  yield. 
And  your  impudence,  moreover,  to  force 
yourself  upon  my  company,  when,  as  you 
cannot  truthfully  deny,  you  owe  me,  my 
self,  two  hundred  ducats!" 

"Nor  do  I  deny  it,"  answered  Balboa, 
with  a  winning  smile.  "And  the  fact  that 
I  do  not — and,  moreover,  seek  you  out — and, 
as  you  say,  force  myself  upon  your  company 
—would  not  that  imply  that  my  motives 
are  most  honorable  ?  Why  should  I  seek  to 
ally  with  one  to  whom  I  am  indeed  in  debt 
but  for  a  desire  to  liquidate  that  obligation  ? 
You  yourself  know,  Bachelor,  that  there  are 
now  no  opportunities  in  Hispaniola:  none 
for  the  planter,  even — which  I  am  not ;  and 
20 


LEADER   OF    A    FORLORN    HOPE 

scarce  any  for  the  soldier — which  I  am. 
Take  me  with  you,  then,  and  but  give  me 
opportunity.  From  the  first  spoils  I  win 
of  the  heathen,  you  shall  recoup  yourself 
the  two  hundred  ducats,  and  I  shall  not  rest 
until  all  my  creditors  have  likewise  been 
repaid  in  full." 

"  I  do  not  know,"  remarked  Enciso  du 
biously.  "I  remember  the  proverb,  'When 
the  devil  says  his  prayers,  he  wants  to  cheat 
you.'  I  never  knew  you,  Vasco  Nunez  de 
Balboa,  to  be  over-anxious  to  discharge  your 
debts.  Still,  since  you  are  here,  and  if,  be 
fore  these  men  assembled,  you  will  pledge 
your  fealty,  promising  support  and  obedience 
to  my  commands,  I  will  allow  you  to  re 


main." 


"I  thank  your  excellency;  and  let  me 
quote  another  proverb,  which  I  verily  be 
lieve  in,  '  Quien  busca,  halla — He  who  seeks, 
finds!'  I  have  sought,  I  shall  seek  yet  more, 
and— I  shall  find!" 

With  these  words,  Balboa  bowed  low  to 
the  lawyer-captain,  turned  on  his  heel,  and 
walked  forward  to  rejoin  his  friends.  En 
ciso  looked  after  him,  noting  his  stalwart, 
muscular  figure,  his  independent  poise,  and 
shook  his  head.  He  had,  indeed,  gained  a 

21 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

sturdy  recruit,  but  one  of  such  lofty  and  in 
trepid  spirit  that  he  might  not  be  content 
with  a  position  in  the  ranks,  and,  perchance, 
might  some  time  aspire  to  command.  Law 
yer  that  he  was,  he  was  provoked  to  think 
that  he  had,  in  a  sense,  compounded  with 
felony,  and  allowed  a  man  to  join  his  com 
pany  who  was  under  the  ban  of  the  law. 
But,  like  the  lawyer  that  he  was,  he  shrugged 
his  shoulders  and  hoped  all  would  turn  out 
for  the  best.  Balboa  had  his  permission  to 
stay,  and  even  if  he  had  not  given  it,  he  could 
not  get  rid  of  the  impudent  rascal  without 
throwing  him  overboard. 

Balboa  joined  his  friends  in  the  prow  of 
the  ship,  and,  with  something  of  a  swagger, 
told  of  his  reception  by  Enciso,  whom  he 
complimented  for  his  good  sense  in  securing 
a  good  recruit,  even  though  it  had  gone 
against  his  prejudices  to  do  so.  Salvador 
Gonzalez  and  a  few  other  soldier  -  settlers, 
who  had  enlisted  for  the  voyage  and  a  year 
thereafter  of  service  on  land,  then  informed 
Balboa  of  the  nature  of  the  expedition  in 
which  he  had  engaged.  They  had  turned 
the  empty  cask  bottom  up,  and,  gathered 
around  Balboa's  erstwhile  domicile  of  the 
night  before,  regaled  themselves  upon  viands 

22 


LEADER    OF    A    FORLORN    HOPE 

brought  from  their  Dominican  farms.  A 
goat-skin  of  wine  hung  conveniently  near, 
and  as  this  was  frequently  resorted  to,  the 
spirits  of  the  company  rose  with  the  prog 
ress  of  the  meal. 

"You  may  not  understand,  Vasco  Nunez 
mio"  said  Gonzalez,  "that  this  expedition 
we  are  on  is  for  the  relief  of  Don  Alonso  de 
Ojeda,  who  has  made,  now,  three  voyages 
to  Terra  Firma,  and  has  founded  a  colony 
on  the  Gulf  of  Uraba.  He  and  Don  Diego  de 
Nicuesa  Were  given  by  the  sovereigns  per 
mission  to  settle  the  coast  of  Terra  Firma, 
between  Cape  de  la  Vela  and  Gracias  a  Dios, 
and  they  sailed  from  Santo  Domingo,  as  you 
know,  at  or  about  the  same  time.  When 
Don  Alonso  left,  he  had  arranged  with  this 
our  commander,  the  Bachelor  Enciso,  to 
prepare  a  vessel  and  follow  him,  after  a  cer 
tain  interval.  That  interval  has  elapsed, 
and,  true  to  his  pledge,  Don  Martin  Fer 
nandez  has  set  sail,  and  here  we  are,  you  see, 
on  the  high  seas  between  Santo  Domingo 
and  the  continent  of  mysteries  [South 
America]." 

"And  well  pleased  am  I,"  responded  Bal 
boa,  "to  find  myself  loose  from  that  island 
of  plagues  and  poverty.  Whate'er  betide, 
23 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

meseems  we  cannot  do  worse  on  the  con 
tinent  than  in  Hispaniola.  Well  it  is  that 
I  preserved  my  good  sword  all  these  years 
that  I  have  played  the  planter  in  that  island, 
for  now  I  see  my  way  to  carve  a  fortune  with 
it  in  a  new  land  where  gold  abounds.  Here, 
then,  is  to  the  success  of  our  voyage!  May 
we  find  gold  galore,  and  caciques  as  rich  as 
was  Caonabo  when  Don  Cristobal  Colum 
bus  came  first  to  Hispaniola!" 

He  filled  a  calabash  with  wine,  which  he 
quaffed  at  a  draught,  and  his  companions 
likewise  drank  most  heartily  to  the  toast  he 
proposed. 

"How  many  are  there  in  our  company?" 
asked  Balboa. 

"One  hundred  and  fifty  men,"  answered 
Gonzalez,  "plus  yourself." 

"Then  there  are  one  hundred  and  fifty- 
two,  for  Leoncico  is  as  good  as  any  soldier, 
and  shall  share  on  equal  terms  with  all." 

This  Balboa  said  with  such  determination 
that  it  was  easy  to  see  his  dog  stood  only 
second  to  himself  in  his  estimation. 

"Ay,  he  is  a  fine  brute,"  assented  Gon 
zalez.  "  I  know  him  well.  He  is  a  son  of 
Ponce  de  Leon's  dog,  Becerrico,  who  per 
formed  such  feats  in  the  island  San  Juan, 
24 


LEADER    OF    A    FORLORN    HOPE 

and  well  worthy  of  his  sire.  And,  inasmuch 
as  Becerrico  received  a  soldier's  full  share, 
yielding  his  master  more  than  two  thousand 
pesos  in  gold,  as  prize-money  for  those  he 
captured,  I  see  not  why  Leoncico  should  not 
be  received  among  us  on  the  same  terms." 

"You  shall  never  regret  it!"  exclaimed 
Balboa,  eagerly,  "for  on  occasions  he  can 
render  the  service  of  a  dozen  men.  He  is 
a  sentinel  that  never  sleeps.  By  day  and 
by  night,  he  is  ever  on  the  watch.  And, 
mates,  his  instinct  is  most  wonderful.  He 
can  distinguish  between  a  peaceful  and  a 
warlike  Indian  merely  by  his  smell.  When 
we  were  hunting  down  the  Indians  of  the 
Cibao,  ten  Christians  escorted  by  this  dog 
were  in  greater  security  than  twenty  were 
without  him.  Seeing  an  Indian  at  a  dis 
tance,  I  have  loosed  him,  saying,  '  There  he 
is,  seek  him,'  and  he  hath  so  fine  a  scent 
that  not  one  ever  escaped  him.  Having 
overtaken  an  Indian,  he  will  take  him  by 
the  hand  or  sleeve  or  girdle,  perchance  he 
have  anything  upon  him,  and  lead  him  gen 
tly  towards  me,  without  biting  or  annoying 
him  at  all;  but  should  the  savage  resist,  he 
would  tear  him  to  pieces.  Look  at  the  scars 
upon  him,"  added  Balboa,  proudly,  drawing 
25 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

the  blood-hound  towards  him  and  pointing 
out  the  many  places  where  he  had  been 
wounded.  "Most  of  these  wounds  were 
made  by  Indian  arrows;  but  here  is  where 
a  javelin  struck  and  tore  him  badly,  and 
here  again  where  a  spear  glanced  from  his 
ribs  that  might  else  have  penetrated  to  his 
heart.  Ah,  you  are  a  great  dog,  aren't  you, 
Leoncico?"  The  hound  raised  his  massive 
head  and  sent  forth  a  roar  that  resounded 
through  the  ship.  He  was  an  ugly  brute, 
even  for  a  blood-hound,  and  few  aboard  ship 
cared  to  handle  him ;  but  with  Balboa  he  was 
like  a  kitten. 

Pursuing  a  course  southwesterly  across 
the  Caribbean  Sea,  Enciso's  ship  finally  ar 
rived  at  the  harbor  of  Cartagena,  where,  as 
the  Spaniards  attempted  to  land,  they  were 
set  upon  by  a  host  of  savages,  who  had  been 
roused  to  exasperation  by  Ojeda  and  were 
burning  for  revenge.  Balboa  and  the  more 
fiery  of  the  cavaliers  were  for  attacking 
them  forthwith ;  but  Enciso  was  of  a  peacea 
ble  disposition  and  would  not  consent.  He 
withdrew  from  the  shore  a  little  way,  and 
parleyed  with  the  Indians  through  an  inter 
preter,  with  the  consequence  that  they  de 
sisted  from  their  hostile  demonstrations  and 
26 


LEADER   OF   A   FORLORN    HOPE 

soon  engaged  in  friendly  barter  with  the 
Spaniards.  Though  they  had  suffered  se 
verely  at  the  hands  of  Ojeda,  who  had  killed 
many  of  their  warriors,  women,  and  children, 
as  well  as  burned  their  town  to  ashes,  these 
so-called  savages  forgot  their  wrongs  and 
mingled  freely  with  the  countrymen  of  those 
who  had  ravaged  their  territory. 

Enciso  took  occasion  to  point  out  the  ad 
vantages  the  Spaniards  might  always  gain 
if  they  would  treat  these  simple  people  fairly 
instead  of  with  rank  injustice,  as  was  usually 
the  case  when  the  two  races  met.  Balboa, 
Gonzalez,  and  their  like,  who  had  been 
schooled  in  the  barbarous  savagery  of  Boba- 
dilla  and  Ovando,  dissented  from  the  bache 
lor's  opinion,  and  declared  he  was  altogether 
too  lenient  with  the  Indians.  Then  and 
there,  in  fact,  began  the  dissension  among 
the  soldiers  which  resulted  in  Enciso's  over 
throw.  But  of  that  anon. 

As  they  were  about  to  leave  Cartagena 
harbor,  a  sail  was  descried  at  a  distance, 
which  proved  to  be  a  brigantine  laden  with 
soldiers  who  had  enlisted  with  Ojeda.  This 
was  proven  to  the  satisfaction  of  Enciso,  and 
on  coming  to  close  quarters  he  hailed  them 
and  demanded  why  they  had  deserted  their 
27 


VASCO   NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

post.  He  was  answered  by  the  commander 
of  the  ship,  who  was  no  less  than  the  sub 
sequently  renowned  Francisco  Pizarro,  that 
famine  and  savages  had  combined  to  drive 
them  away.  Ojeda,  said  Pizarro,  had  de 
parted  two  months  before,  in  a  pirate  ship 
bound  for  Santo  Domingo,  leaving  him  in 
command.  He  was  to  wait  fifty  days,  and 
if  at  the  end  of  that  time  no  supplies  or 
reinforcements  came,  was  at  liberty  to  aban 
don  the  settlement.  The  stipulated  time 
passed,  and  the  survivors  of  the  wretched 
colony  embarked  in,  two  vessels.  One  of 
these  was  swallowed  by  the  sea,  and  the 
terrified  crew  of  the  other  vessel  sought  the 
harbor  of  Cartagena,  intending  to  sail  direct 
for  Santo  Domingo. 

They  had  endured  enough,  all  agreed, 
having  lost  more  than  a  hundred  comrades 
by  drowning,  starvation,  and  the  Indians' 
poisoned  arrows.  Even  the  indomitable 
Pizarro  was  convinced  that  a  return  to  the 
deserted  settlement  was  useless,  for  the 
savages  had  burned  their  fort  before  they 
left  the  harbor,  and  everything  would  have 
to  be  done  over  anew.  But  Enciso,  as 
alcalde  mayor  by  appointment  of  Ojeda, 
was  then  ranking  officer  of  the  little  squad- 
28 


LEADER    OF    A    FORLORN    HOPE 

ron,  and  Pizarro  was  subject  to  his  author 
ity.  He  yielded  to  his  superior  as  gracefully 
as  might  have  been  expected  in  the  circum 
stances;  but  soon  after  it  was  noticed  that 
he  and  Balboa  (having  previously  met  in 
Santo  Domingo,  where  they  were  at  one 
time  boon  companions,  in  fact)  had  their 
heads  together,  and  it  was  surmised,  not 
without  reason,  that  a  plot  was  hatching. 

The  Bachelor  Enciso  was  not  devoid  of 
tact,  however,  and  to  divert  the  malcon 
tents  led  them  on  an  expedition  inland,  to 
ravage  the  territory  of  the  cacique  Zenu 
and  ravish  the  sepulchres  of  his  ancestors, 
which  were  said  to  be  filled  with  gold  and 
gems.  It  was  Balboa  who  related  the  story 
of  the  golden  sepulchres,  which  he  recalled 
as  having  heard  when  he  was  on  that  very 
coast  with  Bastidas. 

"And,  moreover,"  said  he,  "I  bethink  me 
of  what  was  related  respecting  the  gold  of 
that  region.  It  is  said  to  abound  in  such 
quantities  that  it  may  be  picked  up  by  the 
basketful.  In  the  season  of  rains,  which  is 
now,  gold,  in  great  nuggets  large  as  eggs,  is 
washed  down  by  the  torrents,  and  all  the 
natives  do  to  collect  it  is  to  stretch  nets 
across  the  streams.  Going  to  them  in  the 
29 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

morning,  as  a  fisherman  would  visit  his  nets 
in  the  sea,  they  find  the  precious  metal  in 
such  abundance  that  they  bear  it  away  by 
the  backload." 

Thus  discoursed  the  redoubtable  Vasco 
Nunez  de  Balboa  to  his  commander,  Enciso; 
and  though  there  were  those  on  board  ship 
who,  knowing  him  of  old,  declared  that  he 
was  prone  to  "shoot  with  the  long  bow,"  or, 
in  other  words,  tell  incredible  yarns,  the 
bachelor  believed  his  story,  every  word,  and 
prepared  to  put  it  to  the  proof.  As  he,  En 
ciso,  was  a  man  of  peace,  more  learned  in 
the  law  than  versed  in  the  practice  of  arms, 
he  allowed  Balboa  to  take  charge  of  the  ex 
pedition,  though  he  himself  went  along  in 
an  advisory  capacity. 

The  remarkable  abilities  of  the  Bachelor 
Enciso  shone  forth  in  a  remarkable  manner 
at  the  outset,  for,  meeting  with  two  caciques 
in  command  of  a  large  army  of  naked  war 
riors,  he  insisted  upon  expounding  to  them 
the  "why  and  wherefore"  of  the  Spaniards 
having  invaded  their  territory.  He  had 
with  him  the  old  formula,  drawn  up  by  the 
learned  doctors  of  Spain,  which  recited  that, 
in  virtue  of  the  world  having  been  given  by 
God  to  the  pope,  and  by  the  latter  the  un- 
30 


LEADER   OF    A    FORLORN    HOPE 

explored  regions  of  America  to  the  king  of 
Spain,  hence  the  inhabitants  thereof,  which 
included,  of  course,  those  same  Indian  ca 
ciques,  should  submit  to  the  Spaniards,  etc. 
But  these  two  caciques  were  strangely  stub 
born,  for  they  could  not  perceive  the  con 
necting  links  in  an  argument  which  was  sup 
posed  to  be  final  as  to  the  rights  of  the 
Spaniards  to  territory  which  they  and  their 
ancestors  had  held  beyond  the  memory  of 
any  living  man.  One  of  them,  in  fact,  was 
so  rude  as  to  inform  the  bachelor  that  while 
he  assented  to  the  proposition  that  there  was 
but  one  God,  who  lived  in  the  heavens,  they 
could  not  understand  how  it  was  He  had 
given  the  world  to  the  pope,  who  also  must 
have  been  drunk,  or  crazy,  to  present  to  the 
king  of  Spain  what  did  not  belong  to  him. 
And  he  furthermore  added  that  he  and  his 
friend  were  rulers  over  that  golden  province, 
and  if  Enciso  persisted  in  his  hostile  action, 
they  would  be  forced  to  cut  off  his  head  and 
stick  it  up  on  a  pole.  Then  he  and  his  war 
riors  turned  about  and  pointed  to  the  pal 
isaded  fort  behind  them,  where,  over  the 
gateway,  ranged  in  grisly  rows,  Enciso  and 
his  men  saw  several  heads  that  had  once  been 
carried  on  living  shoulders. 
3  31 


VASCO    NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

This  ghastly  spectacle  did  not  daunt  En- 
ciso,  however,  who  said  to  Balboa  and 
Pizarro,  "Well,  I  have  given  them  the  law; 
now  it  only  remains  for  you  to  give  them 
what  they  can  better  understand,  perhaps — 
that  is,  the  sword  and  the  lance." 

The  two  dauntless  fighters  desired  nothing 
better  than  the  pretty  fight  that  was  prom 
ised  with  the  caciques,  and,  with  shouts  to 
their  followers,  led  them  against  the  foe. 
The  battle  was  short,  but  fierce.  The  two 
caciques  were  forced  to  retreat,  leaving  many 
of  their  men  dead  on  the  field;  but  two  of 
the  Spaniards  were  wounded  with  poisoned 
arrows,  and  died  in  torments.  The  province 
was  ravaged,  but  no  gold  was  found,  either 
as  ornaments  in  the  sepulchres  or  nuggets 
in  nets  stretched  across  the  roaring  torrents. 


Ill 

BALBOA   ASSERTS   HIS    SUPREMACY 
1510 

THE  barren  victory  at  Zenu  did  not  serve 
to  greatly  strengthen  the  authority  of 
Enciso,  and  it  required  all  his  arts  as  a 
solicitor  to  induce  Pizarro's  disgusted  sol 
diers  to  return  to  San  Sebastian — as  Ojeda's 
settlement  was  called.  It  was  situated  on 
the  east  side  of  an  inlet  from  the  Gulf  of 
Darien  known  as  Uraba,  the  currents  of 
which  were  so  swift  and  strong  as  to  force 
Enciso's  vessel  upon  a  shoal,  where  she 
went  to  pieces,  with  the  result  that  nearly 
all  her  precious  freight  was  lost,  the  men 
on  board  barely  escaping  with  their  lives. 
They  reached  the  shore  nearly  naked  and 
destitute,  only  to  find  their  fortress  and  for 
mer  dwellings  in  ashes,  and  the  rapacious 
savages  lying  in  wait  for  them  in  the  sur 
rounding  forest. 

A  party  sent  by  Enciso  to  forage  the 
33 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

country  was  waylaid  by  Indians,  who  wound 
ed  several  Spaniards  with  their  poisoned  ar 
rows,  and  compelled  the  command  to  retreat 
to  the  shore.  There  a  consultation  was  held, 
at  which  all  present  were  unanimous  for 
abandoning  a  region  where,  in  their  own 
words,  "Sea  and  land,  the  skies  and  the  in 
habitants,  all  unite  to  repulse  us."  But 
they  knew  not  whither  to  go,  unless  it  were 
back  to  Santo  Domingo,  which,  under  the 
circumstances,  would  not  be  likely  to  receive 
them  hospitably.  At  this  juncture,  the  one 
man  of  that  company  who  had  less  to  expect 
from  a  return  to  the  island  than  from  re 
maining  away  from  it,  stepped  forth  and, 
by  his  words  of  encouragement,  kindled  in 
the  hearts  of  the  despairing  colonists  new 
spirits  and  new  hopes. 

"Now  I  remember,"  said  Vasco  Nunez  de 
Balboa,  "that  some  years  ago  when  pass 
ing  by  this  coast  on  a  voyage  of  discovery 
with  Rodrigo  de  Bastidas,  we  entered  this 
very  gulf  and  disembarked  on  its  western 
shore.  There  we  found  a  large  river,  and 
saw  on  its  opposite  bank  an  Indian  town, 
the  inhabitants  of  which  do  not  poison  their 
arrows.  The  country  adjacent,  moreover, 
was  open  and  fertile,  so  that,  doubtless,  we 
34 


BALBOA   ASSERTS   HIS   SUPREMACY 

shall  find  there  great  store  of  maize  and 
cassava,  as  well  as  a  good  site  for  a  settle 
ment." 

This  welcome  information  at  once  placed 
Balboa  upon  a  pinnacle  of  prominence,  and 
he  was  urged  to  lead  the  starving  band  tow 
ards  the  promised  land  of  abundance.  As 
many  as  possible  crowded  into  the  remain 
ing  brigantine,  and  sailed  across  the  gulf, 
where  they  found  the  river  and  the  town, 
just  as  Vasco  Nunez  had  described  them. 
They  landed  at  once  and  took  possession, 
for  the  town  was  abandoned  of  its  inhabi 
tants,  who  had  retreated  to  the  forest.  The 
place,  however,  was  rendered  untenable  at 
the  moment  by  its  brave  cacique,  named 
Zemaco,  who,  with  five  hundred  warriors, 
had  intrenched  himself  on  a  near-by  hill, 
where  he  courageously  awaited  the  invaders, 
determined  to  give  them  battle.  With  such 
men  as  Pizarro  and  Balboa  in  his  command, 
and  the  latter  already  aspiring  to  leadership, 
it  was  not  possible  for  Enciso  to  restrain  the 
ardor  of  his  men,  who  would  not  heed  his 
desire  to  parley  with  the  Indians,  but  im 
mediately  attacked  them  in  their  chosen 
stronghold. 

The  Indians  fought  for  their  homes,  but 
35 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

the  Spaniards  for  their  very  lives,  and  with 
such  desperation  they  battled  that  the  issue 
was  not  long  in  doubt.  The  cacique  and  his 
warriors  were  driven  from  the  hill  with 
slaughter,  and  the  victorious  though  fam 
ishing  Spaniards,  unable  to  pursue  and  over 
take  them  in  their  flight,  remained  in  pos 
session  of  the  town,  with  its  ample  stores 
of  provisions  and  its  treasures.  They  found 
in  the  huts,  thrust  beneath  thatched  roofs 
of  palm  leaves,  many  quaint  ornaments  of 
gold,  such  as  anklets  and  bracelets,  nose  and 
ear  rings,  altogether  to  the  value  of  ten 
thousand  crowns.  In  the  reeds  and  canes 
along  the  river,  also,  were  discovered  many 
precious  articles  concealed  there  by  the 
Indians  in  their  flight,  and  the  cacique,  hav 
ing  been  captured  and  put  to  the  torture, 
revealed  the  hiding-place  of  many  more. 

Thus  suddenly  raised  from  poverty  to 
affluence,  with  more  than  twelve  thousand 
pieces  of  gold  in  their  possession,  the  Span 
iards  entertained  hopes  of  acquiring  yet 
greater  wealth,  in  a  short  time,  by  maraud 
ing  expeditions.  But  their  ardent  expecta 
tions  were  suddenly  dashed  by  Enciso,  who 
not  only  claimed  the  right  to  hold  in  his 
keeping  all  the  gold,  in  conformity  to  royal 
36 


BALBOA    ASSERTS    HIS    SUPREMACY 

command,  but  imprudently  prohibited  all 
traffic  with  the  Indians  on  individual  ac 
count,  under  penalty  of  death.  As  the 
greater  part  of  his  command  was  composed 
of  men  like  Balboa,  who  had  left  their  coun 
try  in  the  hope  of  bettering  their  fortunes 
by  barter  with  the  natives  of  this  golden 
region,  dissatisfaction  was  wide-spread  and 
the  murmurings  loud  as  well  as  deep.  It 
was  instantly  perceived  that  the  bachelor 
would  prove  a  captious,  miserly  master, 
and  the  bolder  spirits  of  the  company  re 
solved  upon  resisting  his  authority. 

All  had  agreed,  meanwhile,  that  the  Ind 
ian  village  was  well  situated  for  a  perma 
nent  settlement,  and,  after  sending  for  the 
remainder  of  his  company  at  San  Sebastian, 
Enciso  commenced  to  lay  the  foundations 
of  a  town  which,  in  fulfilment  of  a  vow  he 
had  made,  he  called  Antigua  del  Darien. 
He  was  the  founder  of  the  town  of  Antigua, 
but  was  not  to  remain  long  in  control  of  it, 
for,  having  without  sufficient  force  to  back 
him  attempted  to  restrain  the  passions  of 
his  followers  and  deprive  them  of  their 
liberties,  he  was  soon  to  be  swept  away 
when  those  pent-up  passions  burst  their 
bounds. 

37 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

The  Spaniards  of  those  days  had  a  deep 
reverence  for  royal  authority  and  fear  of 
their  king;  but  when  it  was  casually  dis 
covered  that  Enciso  had  unwittingly  settled 
upon  territory  which  had  been  granted  to 
Nicuesa,  and  over  which  neither  Ojeda  nor 
himself  had  any  jurisdiction,  he  was  prompt 
ly  deposed  by  the  soldiers,  who  refused  him 
further  allegiance.  He  was  beaten  by  his 
own  weapons — those  of  the  law — which  were 
turned  against  him  by  his  chief  opponent, 
Balboa,  who  had  never  forgotten  Enciso 's 
threat  to  throw  him  into  the  sea,  or  land 
him  on  a  desert  island,  when  he  had  first 
made  his  appearance  on  shipboard.  The 
line  of  demarcation  between  the  territories 
granted  to  Ojeda  and  Nicuesa  respectively 
ran  through  the  centre  of  the  Gulf  of  Uraba", 
the  eastern  shores  of  which  pertained  to  the 
former  and  the  western  to  the  latter. 

As  Antigua  had  been  founded  on  the 
western  shore,  it  undoubtedly  lay  within 
the  limits  of  Nicuesa's  grant,  and  hence  the 
unfortunate  Enciso  was  without  a  legal  leg 
to  stand  on.  "This  miser  who  would  de 
prive  us  of  our  gold,"  said  Balboa,  "and 
who  covets  for  himself  all  the  fruits  of  our 
efforts,  would  use  to  our  prejudice  an  author- 
38 


BALBOA    ASSERTS    HIS    SUPREMACY 

ity  to  which  he  has  no  just  claim.  Placed 
as  we  are,  beyond  the  limits  assigned  to 
Ojeda's  jurisdiction,  his  command  as  alcalde 
mayor  is  become  null,  together  with  our 
obligation  to  obedience." 

Enciso  could  not  refute  this  argument, 
and  was  set  aside,  in  his  place  being  elected 
as  alcaldes,  or  magistrates,  Vasco  Nunez  de 
Balboa  and  a  man  named  Zamudio.  Though 
the  majority  of  the  company  had  chosen  these 
two  as  their  chiefs,  there  were  still  some  dis 
contented  ones,  and  finally  the  altercations 
became  so  violent  as  to  threaten  the  dis 
ruption  of  the  little  colony.  In  the  midst 
of  it,  one  day,  as  the  disputants  were  hotly 
engaged  in  the  market-place,  they  heard  the 
sound  of  cannon  and  saw  signal  -  smokes 
arising  from  the  hills  across  the  gulf  from 
Antigua.  They  replied  in  like  manner,  with 
cannon  and  smoke-signals,  and  soon  two 
ships  were  seen  sailing  from  the  eastward, 
which,  on  arrival  in  the  river,  proved  to  be 
in  command  of  one  Diego  de  Colmenares, 
who  had  come  from  Spain  in  search  of 
Nicuesa,  the  long  absence  of  whom  without 
tidings  had  excited  alarm. 

Learning  that  opinion  in  the  colony  was 
divided  as  to  the  authority  that  should  rule 
39 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

there,  Colmenares  agreed  to  remain  and 
share  his  arms  and  supplies  with  the  colo 
nists,  provided  they  would  receive  Nicuesa 
as  their  leader.  This  proposition  having 
been  acceded  to  (for  the  liberality  of  Col 
menares  had  gained  him  universal  favor), 
he  and  two  others  were  deputed  to  go  in 
search  of  the  lost  leader,  who,  with  seven 
vessels  and  five  hundred  men,  had  disap 
peared,  months  before,  and  left  no  sign  by 
which  others  could  follow  him.  It  was 
known  that  he  had  taken  part  with  Ojeda 
in  an  attack  upon  the  Indians  at  Cartagena, 
after  which  he  had  set  sail  for  his  allotted 
territory  to  the  westward  of  Uraba".  Since 
then  nothing  whatever  had  been  heard  from 
Nicuesa,  but  the  search  of  Colmenares  dis 
closed  the  details  of  a  terrible  narrative  of 
suffering  and  fatal  disasters,  almost  without 
a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  exploration.  In 
short,  at  the  time  Colmenares  set  out  from 
Antigua,  only  sixty  men  survived  of  the 
five  hundred  who  had  sailed  from  Spain 
with  Nicuesa,  and  but  one  brigantine  was 
left  of  his  fleet. 

The  unfortunate  explorer  was  finally  found 
at  a  port  on  the  north  coast  of  the  isthmus 
named  Nombre  de  Dios,  where  he  and  the 
40 


BALBOA    ASSERTS    HIS    SUPREMACY 

remnant  of  his  band  were  existing  in  a  state 
of  utter  despondency,  unable  to  get  away, 
and  despairing  of  assistance  from  any  quar 
ter.  This  port  had  been  discovered  and 
named  by  Nicuesa  himself,  who,  on  reach 
ing  it  when  worn  by  fatigue  and  exhausted 
by  hunger,  had  exclaimed:  "En  nombre  de 
Dios — in  the  name  of  God — let  us  rest  here!" 
There  he  and  his  companions  gave  up  their 
battle  against  the  elements  and  hostile 
savages,  and  in  the  apathy  of  despair  await 
ed  the  end.  From  this  situation  they  were 
rescued  by  the  coming  of  Colmenares,  who 
snatched  them  from  the  very  jaws  of  death. 
This  Nicuesa  had  been  a  man  of  some  dis 
tinction  in  Spain,  where  he  had  held  the 
office  of  royal  carver,  and  had  amassed  quite 
a  fortune.  He  was  just  such  a  vivacious 
and  testy  cavalier  as  Ojeda  himself,  with 
whom,  by -the -way,  he  came  near  fighting 
a  duel  over  their  respective  boundaries. 
His  reckless  and  generous  disposition  was 
made  manifest  by  the  bountiful  dinner  he 
ordered  prepared  from  the  stores  brought  by 
his  rescuer,  at  which  he  proudly  exhibited 
his  skill  as  a  carver,  by  slicing  and  disjoint 
ing  a  fowl  while  held  in  the  air  on  a  fork. 
His  imprudence  was  shown  by  repeated 
41 


VASCO   NUNEZ   DE   BALBOA 

boasts  that  he  would  promptly  chastise  those 
who  had  ventured  to  question  his  authority 
over  Antigua,  and  would  take  from  them  all 
the  gold  of  which,  without  his  permission, 
they  had  possessed  themselves.  It  belonged 
to  the  crown,  he  said,  and  to  him,  and  those 
who  held  it  must  disgorge,  even  to  the  last 
centavo,  which  he  would  force  them  to  do 
immediately  on  his  arrival.  Colmenares  and 
his  two  companions  were  disgusted,  and 
their  apprehensions  were  further  excited  at 
the  story  told  them  by  one  Lope  de  Olano, 
who  had  formerly  come  to  Nicuesa 's  relief, 
and  had  been  imprisoned  by  him  on  a  tech 
nical  charge  of  desertion.  "Take  warning 
by  my  treatment,"  he  said,  privately,  to  the 
envoys.  "I  brought  relief  to  Nicuesa,  and 
rescued  him  from  certain  death  when  starv 
ing  on  a  desert  island ;  but  behold  my  recom 
pense!  He  repays  me,  as  you  see,  with  im 
prisonment  and  with  chains.  And  such, 
believe  me,  is  the  gratitude  the  people  of 
Darien  may  look  for  at  his  hands." 

Colmenares  continued  loyal  to  his  chief, 
but  his  companion  envoys,  Corral  and  Al- 
bitez,  were  so  impressed  by  the  avaricious 
disposition  displayed  by  Nicuesa,  that  they 
hastened  ahead  of  the  brigantine  in  which 
42 


BALBOA    ASSERTS    HIS    SUPREMACY 

he  embarked,  and,  arriving  at  Antigua  be 
fore  him,  warned  the  inhabitants  against 
receiving  the  boastful  ingrate  into  their 
midst.  "A  blessed  change  we  shall  make," 
they  said,  "in  summoning  this  Diego  de 
Nicuesa  to  take  supreme  command.  We 
have  called  in  King  Stork  with  a  vengeance, 
and  he  will  not  rest  until  he  has  devoured  us. 
What  folly  is  it,  being  our  own  masters,  and 
in  such  free  condition,  to  send  for  a  tyrant 
to  rule  over  us!" 

Their  words,  indeed,  produced  a  turmoil, 
and  the  two  parties  of  Enciso  and  Balboa, 
though  opposed  to  each  other,  quickly 
united  in  opposition  to  the  landing  of  Ni 
cuesa.  When  the  man  without  a  govern 
ment  arrived  in  the  river  opposite  Antigua, 
the  people  sallied  forth  as  if  to  receive  him, 
but  with  loud  cries  and  menaces  warned 
him  against  disembarking,  and  ordered  him 
back  to  Nombre  de  Dios.  It  was  a  desper 
ate  situation  for  Nicuesa,  who  felt,  indeed, 
as  if  "the  heavens  were  falling  on  his  head." 
To  be  warned  away  from  his  own  territory 
was  humiliating,  but  to  be  sent  back  to  the 
isthmus  meant  death  by  starvation.  He 
entreated,  then,  to  be  allowed  to  land, 
though  merely  as  an  equal  and  companion; 
43 


VASCO    NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

failing  in  that,  he  begged  the  heartless  Span 
iards  to  take  and  imprison  him,  since,  though 
he  should  lose  his  liberty,  his  life  might  be 
saved  thereby.  But  the  factions  were  ob 
durate,  and  when,  in  spite  of  Balboa's  warn 
ing,  Nicuesa  persisted  in  landing,  a  band  of 
vagabonds  pursued  him  along  the  shore 
until,  by  sheer  fleetness  of  foot,  he  escaped 
from  them  and  plunged  into  the  forest. 

At  sight  of  this  once  respected  cavalier, 
who  had  lost  a  fortune  in  his  expedition, 
and  was  now  reduced  to  the  extremity  of 
flight  before  a  rabble  crew,  Balboa's  heart 
misgave  him.  He  had  been  foremost  in 
exciting  the  populace  against  Nicuesa,  but 
he  had  not  expected  such  a  tempest  of  dis 
approval  as  to  threaten  his  life,  and  strove 
earnestly  to  allay  it,  though  in  vain.  His 
fellow  -  alcalde  Zamudio  was  the  most  de 
monstrative  against  the  poor  wretch,  fear 
ing  to  lose  his  position  should  he  be  allowed 
to  assume  the  government.  One  of  his  most 
zealous  supporters  was  a  burly  ruffian  named 
Benitez,  who  was  so  vociferous  that  Balboa, 
after  repeatedly  warning  him  to  desist,  sud 
denly  set  in  motion  the  machinery  of  the 
law,  and,  in  his  capacity  of  magistrate, 
ordered  him  to  receive  one  hundred  lashes 
44 


BALBOA    ASSERTS    HIS    SUPREMACY 

on  the  bare  shoulders.  This  act  of  lawful 
violence  cooled  the  emotions  of  the  mob 
somewhat,  and  poor  Nicuesa  was  allowed 
to  emerge  from  the  forest  and  seek  shelter 
on  his  brigantine.  Here  he  received  word 
from  Balboa  that  his  only  safety  lay  in  keep 
ing  out  of  sight  aboard  the  vessel;  but  the 
next  morning,  while  his  friend's  attention 
was  attracted  in  another  direction,  he  was 
lured  on  shore  by  a  deputation  assuming  to 
have  been  sent  to  treat  with  him,  and  hastily 
cast  into  a  small  and  unseaworthy  vessel, 
which  was^set  adrift  upon  the  waters  of  the 
gulf.  Together  with  seventeen  comrades, 
who  chose  to  accompany  him  on  his  perilous 
voyage,  Nicuesa  was  thrust  into  the  miser 
able  craft,  which,  with  scant  provisions  and 
little  water,  was  sent  forth  to  cross  the  Carib 
bean  Sea,  and  was  never  heard  of  again. 

Nicuesa  was  thus  disposed  of  the  first 
week  in  March,  1511.  He  was  never  to  re 
turn;  but  a  few  years  later  his  avengers 
exacted  reparation  for  this  barbarous  deed, 
and  Balboa  lost  his  life  partly  in  conse 
quence.  After  ridding  themselves  of  Ni 
cuesa,  the  Antiguans  resolved  upon  sending 
Enciso  after  him,  and  under  form  of  the  law 
succeeded  in  doing  so.  He  was,  however, 
45 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

better  equipped  for  a  voyage  than  his  la 
mented  predecessor,  and  in  the  caravel  which 
conveyed  him  to  Santo  Domingo  and  Spain 
went  also  the  alcalde  Zamudio.  He  had 
been  prevailed  upon  by  his  partner  to  take 
the  voyage  for  the  purpose  of  presenting 
their  cause  at  court,  and  thus,  at  a  single 
coup,  the  wily  Balboa  removed  an  enemy 
and  a  rival  from  the  colony,  and  was  left  in 
sole  and  absolute  command. 


IV 

BALBOA   CAPTURES   A    PRINCESS 


UNTIL  the  expulsion  of  Enciso,  says  a 
Spanish  writer  of  the  century  in  which 
the  actions  narrated  occurred,  Balboa  might 
have  been  considered  as  a  bold  and  factious 
intriguer  who,  aided  by  his  popularity,  as 
pired  to  the  first  place  among  his  equals, 
and  who  endeavored,  artfully  and  audacious 
ly,  to  rid  himself  of  all  who  might,  with  bet 
ter  title,  have  disputed  it  with  him;  but  as 
soon  as  he  found  himself  alone  and  unrivalled, 
he  gave  himself  up  solely  to  the  preservation 
and  improvement  of  the  colony  which  had 
fallen  into  his  hands.  He  then  began  to 
justify  his  ambition  by  his  services,  to  raise 
his  mind  to  a  level  with  the  dignity  of  his 
office,  and  to  place  himself,  in  the  scale  of 
public  opinion,  almost  in  comparison  with 
Columbus  himself. 

The  removal  of  the  colony  from  San  Se- 
4  47 


VASCO    NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

bastian  to  Darien  had  been  done  in  pur 
suance  of  his  advice,  and  the  wisdom  of  this 
act  being  apparent  to  everybody,  he  was 
thereby  raised  above  all  others  in  the  esti 
mation  of  his  companions.  He  was  not 
made  giddy  by  his  elevation  to  supreme 
power,  but,  on  the  contrary,  seemed  sobered 
by  it,  as  though  he  realized  his  responsi 
bilities,  and  also  wished  to  justify  his  com 
rades'  confidence  in  him.  Having  been 
invested  with  the  command,  he  became  a 
real  leader  and  actual  head  of  affairs,  always 
first  in  any  toil  and  danger,  and  shrinking 
from  no  exposure,  whether  to  the  elements 
or  the  weapons  of  the  savages.  While  frank 
and  affable  in  common  discourse,  and  ever 
accessible  to  the  meanest  and  most  humble 
colonist,  yet  he  was  a  strict  disciplinarian 
with  reference  to  his  soldiers,  and  insisted 
upon  being  treated  with  the  deference  due 
him  as  governor-general  of  the  colony  and 
captain  of  its  forces.  He  fully  recognized 
the  necessity  for  collecting  ample  supplies 
of  gold,  to  be  forwarded  to  King  Ferdinand 
of  Spain,  in  order  to  purchase  exemption 
from  punishment  for  his  expulsion  of  En- 
ciso,  a  royal  official;  but  he  deprived  no  man 
of  his  portion  in  consequence.  Balboa  was 
48 


BALBOA    CAPTURES    A    PRINCESS 

probably  one  of  the  most  generous  and  high- 
minded  of  the  Spanish-American  conquer 
ors.  While  he  sometimes  treated  the  Ind 
ians  with  barbarity,  and  his  exactions  bore 
heavily  upon  them,  yet  he  was  never  unfair 
to  his  comrades  when  it  came  to  a  division 
of  spoils.  He  was  known  to  have  relin 
quished  his  own  share  on  more  than  one 
occasion,  in  order  that  his  followers  might  not 
lose  their  reward  for  the  toils  and  dangers  of 
an  arduous  campaign. 

Having  united  the  warring  factions  among 
the  colonists,  and  secured  the  unswerving 
loyalty  of  his  soldiers  by  offering  them  in 
himself  an  exemplar  of  soldierly  qualities, 
Balboa  turned  his  attention  to  establishing 
the  colony  on  a  basis  of  thrift  and  security. 
He  built  a  stockaded  fort,  repaired  the  dilap 
idated  brigantines,  ordered  extensive  fields 
to  be  cleared  for  planting  with  corn,  and 
drilled  his  soldiers  constantly.  No  tidings 
coming  from  the  exiled  Nicuesa  as  the  weeks 
went  by,  Balboa  despatched  vessels  for  the 
rescue  of  whatever  survivors  might  be  dis 
covered  at  Nombre  de  Dios  and  along  the 
intervening  coast,  thereby  saving  several 
half -starved  wretches  from  death.  Among 
others  thus  rescued  were  two  Spaniards  who 
49 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

had  fled  from  the  severities  of  Nicuesa  more 
than  a  year  before,  and  found  refuge  with 
the  cacique  of  a  province  called  Coyba. 
They  were  nearly  naked,  like  the  Indians, 
and  their  skins  were  painted,  after  the  fash 
ion  in  vogue  among  the  savages;  but  they 
could  still  speak  their  native  language,  and 
thenceforth  served  Balboa  as  interpreters. 
They  had  been  kindly  treated  by  Careta, 
the  cacique  of  Coyba,  who  had  freely  given 
them  shelter,  food,  and  clothing;  but  their 
first  thought,  when  they  found  themselves 
safe  at  Darien,  was  how  they  might  betray 
him  and  assist  their  countrymen  to  obtain 
his  treasures.  Shown  into  the  presence  of 
Captain  Balboa,  they  eagerly  offered  to  lead 
him  to  Coyba,  where,  they  said,  he  would 
find  an  immense  booty  in  gold  as  well  as 
vast  quantities  of  provisions. 

"  And  this  cacique  Careta,  you  say,  treated 
you  well?"  he  asked. 

"As  well  as  he  could,  being  a  savage," 
answered  one  of  the  men.  "He  is  naught 
but  an  Indian,  half  the  time  going  naked, 
and  with  manners  not  of  the  best ;  but  such 
as  he  had  he  freely  gave  us,  and  saved  us 
both  from  death  by  starvation,  most  likely." 

"And  yet,"  rejoined  Balboa,  with  a  curl 
5° 


BALBOA   CAPTURES   A    PRINCESS 

of  his  lip,  "ye  would  have  me  attack  this 
generous  chieftain,  lay  his  town  in  ashes,  per 
chance  kill  him  and  some  of  his  subjects?" 

"We  have  naught  against  him,"  answered 
the  man,  evasively;  "but,  being  possessed  of 
gold,  of  which  he  knows  not  the  use,  and  of 
provisions,  which  ye  certainly  need  in  this 
settlement,  it  seemed  to  us  our  duty  to  ac 
quaint  you  with  these  things." 

"And  that  was  well,"  exclaimed  Balboa, 
"  for  of  a  truth  we  need  both  gold  and  supplies 
for  our  larder,  which  is  low,  even  near  to 
being  exhausted.  As  to  gold — indeed,  as  you 
say,  the  savage  knows  not  its  value,  while 
to  us  it  is  the  greatest  and  best  thing  in  the 
world.  We  are  already  under  ban  of  the 
king,  most  probably,  for  hastening  the  de 
parture  of  the  Bachelor  Enciso,  and  unless 
I  can  persuade  his  majesty,  with  a  golden 
argument,  of  the  justice  of  our  doings,  it 
may  go  hard  with  me  and  with  us  all.  So 
now,  as  I  say,  this  news  comes  most  oppor 
tunely,  and  peradventure  it  turn  out  to  be 
true,  ye  shall  not  suffer  for  the  imparting  of 
it.  I  will  myself  lead  the  way,  with  you  as 
guides,  and  if  we  can  accomplish  our  object 
without  bloodshed,  much  better  will  I  be 
suited  than  if  violence  be  done." 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

Balboa  was  highly  elated  by  the  tidings 
of  a  golden  country  not  far  distant,  and, 
selecting  a  hundred  and  thirty  of  his  best 
men,  embarked  them  in  two  brigantines  for 
the  province  of  Coyba.  They  were  equipped 
with  the  best  weapons  the  colony  could  sup 
ply,  and  also  with  utensils  for  opening  roads 
into  the  mountains,  as  well  as  with  mer 
chandise  for  traffic  should  it  seem  better  to 
barter  with  the  Indians  than  attack  them 
openly. 

The  swamps  and  forests  adjacent  to  the 
colony  were  occupied  by  Indians  of  different 
tribes,  some  more  warlike  than  others,  but 
none  of  them  so  barbarous  as  the  fierce 
Caribs  of  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Uraba 
Gulf,  who  ate  their  prisoners,  gave  no  quar 
ter  in  battle,  and  made  use  of  poisoned  ar 
rows.  These  terrible  weapons,  as  already 
remarked,  were  not  used  by  the  Indians  of 
the  western  shore,  who  were  far  less  sangui 
nary,  though  obstinate  in  battle  and  even 
ferocious.  They  spared  the  lives  of  their 
captives,  and,  instead  of  eating  or  sacrificing 
them  to  their  gods,  branded  them  on  the 
forehead,  or  knocked  out  a  tooth,  as  a  sign 
of  servility,  and  kept  them  as  slaves.  Each 
tribe  was  governed  by  a  cacique,  or  supreme 
52 


BALBOA   CAPTURES    A    PRINCESS 

chief,  whose  title  and  privileges  were  heredi 
tary,  and  who  was  permitted  to  have  nu 
merous  wives,  while  the  common  warrior 
had  but  a  single  helpmeet,  unless  he  had  won 
unusual  distinction  by  great  bravery  in 
battle.  Besides  supporting  their  caciques, 
the  Darien  Indians  allowed  priests,  or  ma 
gicians,  and  doctors  to  exercise  their  arts, 
and  they  adored  a  supreme  deity,  known  as 
Tuira,  to  whom  the  milder  tribes  offered 
spices,  fruits,  and  flowers,  while  the  more 
savage  ones  poured  out  blood  upon  their 
altars  and  made  human  sacrifices. 

The  houses  of  these  people  were  mostly 
made  of  poles,  or  canes,  loosely  bound  to 
gether  with  vines,  and  roofed  with  a  thatch 
composed  of  grasses  and  palm  leaves  so 
thickly  placed  as  to  turn  the  tropical  rains 
and  afford  a  perfect  shelter.  When  these 
structures  were  built  on  solid  ground  they 
were  called  bohios,  as  in  the  islands  of  the 
West  Indies,  and  some  of  them  were  nearly 
a  hundred  feet  in  length,  though  not  over 
twenty  or  thirty  in  breadth.  The  majority, 
however,  were  small  huts,  at  a  distance  very 
much  resembling  hay -stacks,  having  a  single 
opening  only,  as  a  doorway,  and  a  clay 
or  earthen  floor,  with  a  fire  usually  burn- 
53 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

ing  in  the  centre,  the  smoke  from  which 
escaped  through  the  roof  of  thatch.  There 
was  another  class  of  dwellings,  either  aerial 
or  aquatic,  depending  upon  whether  they 
were  built  in  trees,  for  safety  from  floods  and 
wild  beasts,  or  above  the  placid  surface  of 
some  lake  or  gulf,  and  used  as  dwellings  by 
fishermen.  These  were  known  as  barbacoas; 
and  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  we  find  the 
same  name  applied  to  certain  elevated 
structures  of  a  similar  sort  used  as  corn- 
cribs  by  the  Indians  of  Florida  in  De  Soto's 
time.  Both  bohios  and  barbacoas  were  sub 
ject  to  removal  or  abandonment  whenever 
the  game  of  the  neighborhood  grew  scarce, 
the  soil  unfruitful,  or  a  pestilence  decimated 
the  tribe,  following  the  dictates  of  danger  or 
necessity. 

During  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  in 
that  tropical  climate,  clothing  was  rarely 
necessary  for  warmth,  except  at  night,  and 
the  men  and  boys  were  nearly  always  naked, 
though  the  caciques  sometimes  wore  breech- 
cloths,  and  cotton  mantles  over  their  shoul 
ders  as  badges  of  distinction.  All  males, 
and  especially  the  warriors,  painted  their 
bodies  with  ochreous  earths,  and  stained 
their  skin  with  the  juice  of  the  annotto, 
54 


BALBOA    CAPTURES    A    PRINCESS 

while  they  adorned  their  heads  with  plumes 
of  feathers.  Both  sexes  inserted  tinted  sea- 
shells  in  their  ears  and  nostrils  as  "orna 
ments,"  and  encircled  their  wrists  and  ankles 
with  bracelets  of  native  gold.  The  women, 
after  reaching  the  marriageable  age,  wore 
cotton  skirts  from  waist  to  knee,  and  broad 
bands  of  gold  beneath  their  breasts.  Their 
hair,  which  was  very  coarse  and  black,  they 
cut  off  in  front,  even  with  their  eyebrows, 
by  means  of  sharp  flints,  but  allowed  the 
thick,  luxuriant  tresses  to  fall  over  their 
shoulders  as  far  as  the  waist. 

They  were  fine-looking  people,  especially 
the  young  girls  and  children,  for,  though 
their  complexion  was  brown,  or  copper- 
colored,  their  forms  were  models  of  sym 
metry,  their  countenances  pleasing,  and  their 
dispositions  sweet  and  amiable.  Their  de 
fects  (for  they  were  by  no  means  devoid  of 
them)  were  such  as  might  be  expected  to 
arise  from  their  barbarous  mode  of  life,  de 
scended  from  ancestors  who  had  never  been 
instructed  in  morals  or  religion,  save  in  their 
most  brutish  forms.  They  had,  of  course, 
no  written  language,  nor  even  a  hiero 
glyphic  system,  to  perpetuate  their  thoughts 
or  the  traditions  of  their  ancestors ;  but  they 
55 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

were  experts  in  the  chant  and  dance  known 
as  the  areito,  which  they  performed  to  the 
rude  music  of  drums  made  of  hollowed  logs, 
like  the  tambouye,  or  "tom-tom,"  of  the  Af 
ricans. 

Free  from  the  cares  of  civilization,  their 
occupations  agricultural,  with  frequent  fo 
rays  into  the  forest  for  game  and  upon  the 
river  and  gulf  for  fish,  they  passed  much  of 
their  time  in  idleness,  except  when  pressed 
for  hunger  or  incited  by  passion  to  war 
upon  their  neighbors.  They  knew  not,  as 
has  been  said,  the  value  of  gold,  for  they 
were  always  willing  to  barter  great  nuggets 
for  the  veriest  trifles  and  toys;  but  Careta, 
the  cacique  of  Coyba,  may  have  been  in 
structed  in  its  worth  by  the  two  Spaniards 
who  had  shared  his  hospitality,  for  when, 
under  their  guidance,  Balboa  appeared  in 
his  settlement  and  demanded  his  treasures, 
he  declared  he  had  none  to  supply.  Neither 
had  he  any  provisions,  he  said,  except  such 
as  were  necessary  to  carry  his  tribe  over  to 
the  next  planting  season,  for  he  had  been 
engaged  in  a  disastrous  war  with  Ponca,  a 
powerful  cacique  who  lived  in  the  moun 
tains,  and  his  people  had  been  unable  either 
to  sow  or  to  reap. 

56 


BALBOA    CAPTURES    A    PRINCESS 

Then  one  of  the  traitors  took  Balboa  aside, 
and  said: 

"  Commander,  believe  him  not.  To  my 
certain  knowledge,  he  hath  an  abundant 
hoard  of  provisions  in  barbacoas  concealed 
in  the  forest,  and  of  gold,  also,  vast  quanti 
ties  hidden  in  the  reeds  and  thickets.  But 
it  is  best  to  dissemble,  for  behold,  he  is  sur 
rounded  by  two  thousand  warriors,  and  they 
will  fight,  as  I  know  from  having  seen  them 
combat  with  the  tribe  of  Ponca.  Appear 
to  believe  him,  then,  and  pretend  to  de 
part  for  Antigua;  but  in  the  night  return, 
take  him  by  surprise,  burn  the  village,  and 
make  the  cacique  prisoner,  with  all  his  fam- 
ily." 

This  advice  seemed  sound  to  Balboa,  and 
he  acted  on  it  promptly,  turning  about  that 
afternoon  and  making  as  though  departing 
for  Darien,  after  a  cordial  leave-taking,  to 
the  cacique's  great  delight.  The  unsus 
pecting  chieftain  watched  the  Spaniards  out 
of  sight,  heard  their  drums  and  bugles  re 
sounding  through  the  forest  farther  and 
farther  away,  and,  convinced  that  they  had 
indeed  left  him  in  good  faith,  retired  to  rest 
without  setting  scouts  on  their  trail  or  post 
ing  sentinels  about  his  camp.  But  the 
57 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

sagacious  Balboa  had  no  sooner  placed  a 
league  or  so  of  forest  between  himself  and 
the  unwary  Car  eta  than  he  ordered  a  halt. 
The  wood  was  dense  and  dark,  for  the  trees 
of  the  tropical  forest  are  not  only  vast  of 
bulk,  but  thickly  held  together  by  innumer 
able  vines  and  bush  -  ropes,  called  lianas, 
seemingly  miles  in  length,  and  forming  im 
penetrable  bulwarks,  overtopped  by  canopies 
of  foliage,  through  which  the  sun  even  at 
mid-day  can  hardly  send  a  single  ray. 

Having  with  him,  however,  axes  and 
machetes  for  cutting  his  way  through  the 
forest,  the  prudent  Balboa  had  commanded 
his  men  to  slash  a  broad  path  ahead  of  the 
company,  and  thus,  when  they  halted  for 
rest  shortly  after  sunset,  behind  them  lay 
an  open,  easy  trail  leading  directly  back  to 
the  cacique's  village.  After  posting  sentries 
roundabout  the  camp,  Balboa  ordered  a 
bountiful  meal  to  be  served  his  hungry  men, 
one  hundred  of  whom  were  allowed  to  sleep 
for  the  space  of  two  hours,  after  which  the 
command  was  given  to  march. 

Without  bustle  or  confusion,  the  soldiers 

formed  in  loose  order  and  commenced  their 

retrograde  march  through  the  forest,  thanks 

to  the  foresight  of  their  commander,  finding 

58 


BALBOA    CAPTURES    A    PRINCESS 

the  return  far  easier  than  the  advance.  All 
was  silent  as  they  approached  the  village, 
and,  as  stealthily  as  jaguars  about  to  leap 
on  their  prey,  crept  within  bow-shot  of  the 
dwellings.  Balboa  had  passed  the  order  for 
his  men  to  refrain  from  shedding  blood,  un 
less  a  fierce  resistance  were  offered,  and, 
whatever  happened,  to  capture  the  cacique 
and  his  family  alive.  The  royal  dwelling 
was  conspicuous  from  its  size  and  its  posi 
tion  on  a  mound  raised  somewhat  above  the 
general  level  of  the  town,  and  it  was  silently 
surrounded  by  a  picked  company. 

Suddenly  the  twang  of  a  cross-bow  string 
broke  the  stillness  of  the  night,  followed  by 
a  sheet  of  fire  from  an  arquebuse;  for  two 
of  the  soldiers  had  spied  some  Indians  mov 
ing  through  a  thicket,  and  concluded  the 
whole  village  was  alarmed.  At  once,  in  ter 
rible  confusion,  from  the  surrounded  houses 
outpoured  swarms  of  startled  savages,  naked 
and  weaponless,  seeking  security  by  flight, 
and  with  no  intention  of  resisting  the  un 
expected  attack.  Several  of  them  were  cut 
down  by  the  swordsmen  and  halberdiers, 
and  a  few  were  transfixed  by  arrows  from 
the  cross-bows ;  but  the  greater  number  were 
allowed  to  dart  into  outer  darkness  and  es- 
59 


VASCO   NUREZ-DE    BALBOA 

cape.  Nearly  all  escaped,  in  fact,  except 
the  cacique's  numerous  family,  who,  sur 
rounded  by  the  soldiery,  with  naked  swords 
and  lighted  fusees  in  their  hands,  cowered 
around  their  dwelling  in  affright. 

One  alone  attempted  to  escape,  and  would 
have  succeeded  but  for  Leoncico,  Balboa's 
faithful  hound,  who  had  effectively  assisted 
at  "rounding  up"  the  band,  and  was  keep 
ing  a  vigilant  watch  at  his  master's  side. 
With  a  leap  and  a  growl,  Leoncico  sprang 
over  the  heads  of  the  group  in  front  of  him 
and  disappeared  in  the  darkness  of  the 
wood.  "  Dios!"  exclaimed  Balboa,  in  alarm. 
"It  was  a  woman — a  maiden!  God  grant 
she  may  not  resist  him!  I  never  knew 
Leoncico  to  harm  a  woman,  but  he  has  torn 
many  a  man  to  pieces.  Gonzalez,  take  you 
command  for  the  moment,  while  I  follow  the 
hound  to  see  that  he  does  no  harm  to  the 
maiden."  Saying  this,  he  plunged  into  the 
wood,  which  grew  close  up  to  the  cacique's 
dwelling,  and  with  his  sword  and  heavy 
armor  cut  and  beat  down  the  vines  that 
stretched  across  the  path  his  hound  had 
taken.  Soon  he  was  surrounded  by  silence, 
as  well  as  by  darkness,  for  the  Indians  who 
had  fled  to  the  forest  lay  quiet,  like  hares  in 
60 


BALBOA    CAPTURES    A    PRINCESS 

a  form,  and  the  turmoil  of  the  village  was 
left  far  behind  him. 

"  Leon — Leoncico !"  he  shouted,  "  where  art 
thou?"  For  a  while  there  was  no  response, 
then  a  hoarse  bark  sounded  in  his  ears.  It 
came  from  a  point  well  ahead,  deep  in  the 
wood,  but  by  dint  of  sword  and  armor  he 
forced  his  way  to  it,  and  there  found  that 
of  which  he  was  in  search.  The  darkness 
was  intense,  for  the  time  was  then  about 
midnight ;  but  as  he  pushed  his  way  onward 
a  stray  gleam  of  moonlight  thrust  a  lance- 
like  shaft  through  the  leafy  canopy  above, 
and  he  saw  the  form  of  Leoncico  crouching 
in  front  of  a  cringing  figure  outlined  against 
the  trunk  of  a  mighty  tree.  Then  Balboa 
drew  breath  with  great  relief,  for,  despite 
the  darkness,  he  could  see  that  the  captive 
was,  apparently,  unharmed.  She  was  press 
ed  close  against  the  tree-trunk,  clinging  for 
support  to  a  sturdy  liana,  and  motionless, 
save  for  the  trembling  which  shook  her  like 
a  leaf. 

She  seemed,  indeed,  a  statue  cast  in  golden 
bronze.  Fear  had  paralyzed  her  limbs  so 
that  she  did  not  move,  even  when,  approach 
ing  softly,  Balboa  called  to  her  to  be  of 
good  cheer  and  touched  her  reassuringly. 
61 


VASCO    NUfiEZ   DE    BALBOA 

She  continued  gazing  at  the  hound  with  wide- 
staring  eyes  and  parted  lips,  as  though  fas 
cinated  by  that  terrible  apparition.  She  had 
never  seen  its  like  before,  and  could  not  but 
have  been  bereft  of  sense  and  motion  when 
it  had  sprung  upon  her  from  the  darkness 
of  the  forest,  like  a  phantom  of  evil. 

Realizing  that  his  errand  had  been  ac 
complished  with  the  appearance  of  his  mas 
ter,  Leoncico  rose  with  a  growl,  and  would 
have  returned  to  the  village  had  not  Balboa 
halted  him.  "Lie  down,  brute,"  he  cried, 
in  a  voice  hoarse  with  rage.  "What  do 
you  mean  by  pursuing  a  defenceless  maid 
en?  Were  there  not  warriors  enough  for 
you  to  slay?" 

The  hound  cringed  before  him  and  whined, 
as  though  to  exculpate  himself;  but  sudden 
ly  his  whole  attitude  changed.  Springing 
erect,  and  thrusting  his  nose  into  the  air, 
while  the  hair  on  his  neck  bristled  with  rage, 
he  uttered  a  low,  deep  growl.  At  the  same 
instant  the  whistle  of  an  arrow  came  to  Bal 
boa's  ears  and  a  missile  struck  him  forcibly 
between  the  shoulders.  But  for  his  armor 
he  might  have  been  transfixed,  so  forcefully 
was  the  missile-weapon  sent;  but,  as  it  was, 
it  fell  in  fragments  to  the  ground. 
62 


BALBOA    CAPTURES    A    PRINCESS 

Then  there  was  the  sound  of  a  scuffle,  a 
shriek  of  agony  pierced  the  air,  followed  by 
the  ravening  of  Leoncico  as  he  tore  to 
pieces  the  victim  of  his  rage.  He  had 
sprung  upon  the  savage  who  in  the  dark 
ness  had  approached  and  sped  the  arrow  at 
his  master,  and,  bearing  him  to  the  ground, 
made  short  work  of  the  poor  wretch,  who 
was  soon  a  mangled  corpse.  Stupefied  as 
she  was  by  fear,  the  maiden  could  not  but 
have  felt  the  horror  of  that  terrible  scene, 
and  sank  senseless  to  the  ground.  War's 
dread  experiences  had  not  so  seared  the 
heart  of  Balboa  that  he  could  be  insensible 
to  pity  for  his  helpless  captive,  and,  sheath 
ing  his  sword,  he  gathered  her  in  his  arms. 
Preceded  by  Leoncico,  he  bore  her  tenderly 
through  the  forest,  shielding  her  from  harm 
in  the  darkness,  and  in  due  time  joined  his 
command  at  the  village. 


V 

THE    CACIQUES    OP    DARIEN 


AS  Vasco  Nunez  burst  into  the  circle  of 
light  shed  by  the  flames  of  burning 
bohios,  the  red  glare  from  which  lighted  up 
the  steel-clad  soldiers  and  their  abject  cap 
tives,  he  was  greeted  by  glad  exclamations 
from  the  former  and  cries  of  distress  from 
the  latter.  He  strode  through  the  lines 
without  a  word,  and,  making  for  the  group 
containing  the  cacique's  family,  he  sought 
out  an  elderly  female,  whom  he  supposed 
to  be  the  mother  of  the  girl,  and  delivered 
his  charge  into  her  keeping.  The  cries  of 
distress  were  instantly  hushed  as  the  happy 
mother  gathered  the  girl  in  her  arms,  but 
as  the  minutes  went  by  without  any  signs 
of  recovery  from  the  maiden,  low  moans 
broke  from  the  captives,  and  many  of  them 
began  to  gash  themselves  and  tear  their 
hair. 

64 


THE    CACIQUES    OF    DARIEN 

The  cacique  had  stood  aloof,  stoically  re 
fraining  from  uttering  a  sound;  but  after  a 
while,  as  his  daughter  did  not  return  to 
consciousness,  he  went  to  the  side  of  Balboa, 
and,  raising  his  manacled  hands  in  the  air, 
exclaimed : 

"What  have  I  done  to  thee,  O  thou  ter 
rible  stranger,  that  thou  shouldst  treat  me 
so  cruelly?  None  of  thy  people  ever  came 
to  my  land  that  were  not  fed  and  sheltered 
and  treated  with  loving  kindness.  When 
thou  earnest  to  my  dwelling,  did  I  meet 
thee  with  a  javelin  in  my  hand  ?  Did  I  not 
set  forth  meat  and  drink,  and  welcome  thee 
as  a  brother?  Set  me  free,  therefore,  with 
my  family  and  people,  and  we  may  yet  re 
main  as  friends.  We  will  supply  thee  with 
provisions  and  reveal  to  thee  the  riches  of 
this  land.  But  first  restore  to  me  my 
daughter,  the  light  of  my  eyes,  the  pearl  of 
my  household,  whom  thou  and  that  dread 
beast  of  thine  have  driven  to  the  border 
land  of  death." 

During  this  impassioned  speech  by  the 
outraged  cacique,  Balboa  remained  gazing 
first  at  the  chieftain,  then  at  his  daughter, 
without  uttering  a  word.  The  mother  was 
chafing  the  wrists,  bathing  the  forehead, 
65 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

and  whispering  tender  words  into  the  ears 
of  the  maiden,  but  without  eliciting  a  re 
sponse.  A  most  pathetic  spectacle  mother 
and  daughter  presented,  despite  the  sav 
agery  of  the  parent,  her  lack  of  clothing, 
and  uncouth  appearance,  which  but  enhanced 
by  contrast  the  beauty  of  the  maiden. 

Balboa  had  thought  her  beautiful,  in  the 
brief  glimpses  afforded  in  the  moonlit  forest, 
but  now,  with  her  form  and  features  wrought 
upon  radiantly  by  the  flickering  flames,  he 
saw  that  she  was  ravishingly  lovely.  Touch 
ed  by  her  beauty,  then,  and  rendered  com 
passionate  by  her  helplessness,  he  allowed 
his  heart  to  go  out  to  her,  and  so  far  as  his 
rough  nature  was  susceptible  to  love  he  felt 
that  sentiment  for  the  cacique's  daughter. 
Distressed  by  the  silence  with  which  his  ap 
peal  had  been  received,  the  cacique  added : 

"Dost  thou  doubt  my  faith?  Behold  my 
daughter.  I  give  her  to  thee,  provided  she 
shall  be  restored,  as  a  pledge  of  friendship. 
Thou  mayst  take  her  for  thy  wife,  and  be 
thus  assured  of  the  friendship  of  her  family 
and  her  people." 

Balboa  then  awoke,  as  from  a  trance,  and, 
grasping  Careta's  right  hand,  exclaimed: 
"  I  accept  her,  if  she  will  but  ratify  thy 
66 


THE   CACIQUES   OF   DARIEN 

offer,  and  henceforth  there  shall  be  no 
enmity  between  us.  Men,  cast  off  the 
chains  from  these  people.  Set  them  free; 
and  bugler,  order  the  recall,  peradventure 
there  be  any  in  pursuit  of  our  former  ene 
mies,  now  our  friends." 

With  his  own  hands  he  removed  the 
manacles  from  Careta's  wrists,  then,  noting 
by  the  flickering  of  the  maiden's  eyelids 
that  she  was  recovering,  he  hastened  to  her 
side.  As  her  eyes  opened,  they  rested  in 
astonishment  first  upon  the  mailed  cavalier, 
standing  erect  in  the  firelight,  clad  in  shining 
armor  from  throat  to  foot,  and  with  a  smile 
upon  his  handsome  features. 

Then  in  the  fulness  of  his  manly  powers, 
with  a  face  and  figure  that  would  have 
wrought  havoc  among  the  dames  of  his 
sovereign's  court,  had  he  been  favored  with 
a  presentation  there,  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa 
carried  this  untutored  maiden's  heart  by 
storm.  She  uttered  a  low  cry,  and,  leaping 
from  her  mother's  lap,  darted  into  the 
cacique's  dwelling,  as  if  for  the  first  time 
realizing  her  lack  of  proper  raiment  and 
desiring  to  conceal  herself  from  the  eyes  of 
her  lover.  At  a  word  from  the  cacique, 
whose  will  was  law  with  all  his  family,  the 
67 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

mother  went  in  after  her  and  soon  reap 
peared,  holding  her  daughter  by  one  hand. 
During  the  brief  time  at  her  disposal,  she 
had  found  and  arrayed  herself  in  a  flowing 
robe  of  cotton,  embroidered  in  gold,  and 
gathered  at  the  waist  by  a  golden  girdle. 
This  she  clutched  nervously,  as,  with  de 
jected  mien  and  downcast  eyes,  she  stood 
before  the  man  in  whose  sight  she  had  found 
favor  above  all  other  women. 

The  marriage  ceremony  was  simple  and 
brief,  consisting  in  the  cacique's  joining  the 
right  hands  of  these  two  so  strangely  brought 
together,  and  invoking  his  deity  to  bless  the 
union,  which,  at  a  later  period,  Balboa  in 
tended  to  have  sanctioned  by  a  priest. 
Whether  this  intention  was  fulfilled,  we  will 
not  at  this  moment  inquire.  Balboa  was 
a  man  of  many  good  resolves  and  promises, 
most  of  which  seem  to  have  been  made  only 
to  be  broken.  But,  in  the  sight  of  God,  who 
sees  into  the  souls  of  men,  and  in  the  pres 
ence  of  more  than  one  hundred  witnesses, 
who  looked  on  in  vast  astonishment  as  the 
ceremony  was  performed,  Vasco  Nunez  de 
Balboa  was  "well  and  truly  wedded"  to  the 
cacique's  beautiful  daughter.  She,  the  sim 
ple  child  of  nature,  untaught  by  art,  and 
68 


BALBOA    AND    THE    INDIAN    PRINCESS 


THE    CACIQUES    OF    DARIEN 

with  no  moral  law  to  guide  her,  knew  and 
cared  for  naught  except  that  she  loved  the 
gallant  cavalier  and  sought  no  further. 

Short  and  fierce  had  been  the  wooing  of  the 
fair  Cacica,  wild  and  weird  the  accessories 
of  her  wedding,  with  the  accompaniment  of 
burning  dwellings  and  attendance  of  rude 
soldiers  in  armor  bearing  flaming  torches. 
Brief  and  tempestuous  was  to  be  her  life  on 
earth  thereafter.  Balboa  may  have  reck 
oned  upon  this  alliance  as  attaching  to  his 
service  one  of  the  most  powerful  caciques 
of  Darien ;  but  by  captivating  the  affections 
of  the  beautiful  Cacica  he  had  incurred  the 
hatred  and  jealousy  of  certain  young  war 
riors,  who  were  to  cause  him  trouble  in  the 
near  future.  He  had  captured  the  wild 
beauty  of  the  wilderness,  but  in  so  doing  he 
enmeshed  himself  in  troubles  of  far-reaching 
consequence.  They  reached,  indeed,  across 
the  sea  and  ocean  even  to  Spain,  and  in 
their  train  brought  retribution,  none  the 
less  certain  because  it  was  delayed  for  years. 

Love  and  diplomacy  went  hand -in-hand, 
so  far  as  Balboa  could  perceive,  and  as  few 
men  ever  succeed  in  reconciling  these  two, 
he  affected  to  believe  that  he  had  achieved 
a  victory  of  great  moment.  Returning  to 
69 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

Darien  with  his  bride,  he  there  entertained 
his  friend  and  father-in-law  with  jousts  and 
tourneys,  showed  him  the  ships,  and  sur 
prised  him  with  the  thunder  of  artillery. 
Nothing  delighted,  as  well  as  alarmed,  the 
old  chieftain  so  much  as  the  war-horses, 
upon  the  back  of  one  of  which  he  was  mount 
ed,  only  to  be  thrown  heavily  to  the  sands 
and  receive  a  rude  awakening.  He  then 
conceived  an  intense  admiration  for  the 
beings,  like  his  son-in-law,  who  could  mount 
and  control  those  wonderful  animals,  and 
never  tired  of  sounding  their  praises.  As 
he  had  disclosed  to  Balboa  the  hiding-places 
of  his  provisions  and  treasure,  and  as  the 
latter  had  lost  no  time  in  transferring  them 
to  Darien,  he  was  instrumental  in  keeping 
starvation  from  the  colony  until  supplies 
arrived  from  Spain  or  Santo  Domingo,  and 
also  of  enriching  every  man  in  the  army. 
Two  brigantines  had  been  laden  with  the 
provisions  and  spoils  obtained  in  Careta's 
territory,  in  the  securing  of  which  the  lovely 
Cacica  was  largely  instrumental.  She  in 
duced  her  father  to  reveal  to  her  new  master 
the  treasure-vaults  amid  the  sepulchres  of 
her  ancestors;  but  when  she  witnessed  the 
rapacity  and  brutality  of  the  conquerors  in 


THE    CACIQUES    OF    DARIEN 

ravaging  the  graves  and  desecrating  the 
revered  remains,  she  was  grieved  to  the 
heart.  Perhaps  she  then  had  a  foreboding 
of  the  evils  she  was  to  bring  upon  her  people, 
for  she  became  pensive  and  sad,  rarely  smil 
ing  or  singing  during  several  days  thereafter. 
Upon  the  warriors  of  the  tribe  the  ravage 
had  a  different  effect,  rendering  them  surly 
and  restive,  so  that  the  cacique  was  hardly 
able  to  restrain  them  from  making  reprisals, 
and  avenging  the  indignities  offered  their 
ancestors  by  shedding  tlie  blood  of  the 
Spaniards. 

The  attachment  of  these  people  to  the 
memory  of  their  dead  caciques  and  former 
rulers  is  shown  by  the  fidelity  of  their  wives 
and  servants,  who  immolated  themselves 
upon  their  graves,  in  order  that  they  might 
continue  to  serve  them  in  the  next  life  as 
they  had  done  in  this  on  earth.  They  fully 
believed,  says  the  old  chronicler,  that  "the 
souls  which  omitted  this  act  of  duty  either 
perished  with  their  bodies  or  were  dispersed 
in  air.  They  consigned  their  dead  to  earth, 
though  in  some  provinces,  as  soon  as  a  chief 
tain  died  he  was  seated  on  a  stone,  and,  a 
fire  being  kindled  around  him,  the  corpse 
was  kept  till  all  moisture  was  dried,  and 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

nothing  but  skin  and  bones  remained.  In 
this  state  it  was  placed  in  a  retired  apart 
ment  dedicated  to  this  use,  or  fastened  to 
a  wall,  adorned  with  plumes,  jewels,  and 
even  robes,  by  the  side  of  the  father  or  an 
cestor  immediately  preceding.  Thus,  with 
the  corpse  of  the  warrior,  was  his  memory 
preserved  to  his  family,  and  if  any  of  them 
perished  in  battle,  the  fame  of  his  prowess 
was  consigned  to  posterity  in  the  songs  of 
the  areitos." 

Shortly  after  the  return  of  the  cacique  to 
his  village,  Balboa  missed  his  mistress  one 
day,  and,  setting  scouts  on  her  trail,  traced 
her  to  the  Indian  cemetery.  His  emissaries 
had  strict  orders  to  bring  her  to  him  at  once, 
if  they  found  her ;  but  they  returned  empty- 
handed,  and  when  he  rated  them  for  dis 
obedience  one  of  the  scouts  replied:  "Serior 
Comandante,  had  you  seen  what  we  have 
seen,  you  yourself  would  not  have  taken  the 
Cacica  from  her  people.  For  she  and  they 
were  engaged  in  paying  honors  to  the  dead, 
whose  tombs  we  have,  in  their  opinion,  dese 
crated  by  robbing  them  of  their  jewels.  All 
the  warriors  of  her  father,  the  cacique,  were 
gathered  around  the  cemetery,  armed  with 
weapons  and  painted  as  if  for  war.  Sooth, 
72 


THE    CACIQUES    OF    DARIEN 

they  were  fierce  and  warlike,  and  it  needed 
but  a  small  provocation  to  kindle  the  flames 
of  their  resentment  into  a  blaze  that  might 
sweep  this  colony  into  the  sea.  They  had 
gathered  the  bones  of  their  deceased  rulers 
together  and  reinterred  them  carefully,  those 
who  were  dried  like  mummies  by  heat  hav 
ing  been  affixed  against  the  walls  whence 
they  were  wrested  by  our  soldiers.  When 
we  arrived — and,  truly,  we  dared  not  enter 
the  place,  but  hovered  unseen  on  the  verge 
of  the  forest — they  were  engaged  in  various 
ways.  The  women  and  younger  folks  were 
singing  and  dancing  their  barbarous  areito, 
performing  steps  in  unison  to  the  beat  of  a 
drum  made  from  a  hollowed  log  with  the 
skin  of  a  jaguar  stretched  over  one  end  of  it. 
It  was  a  strange,  unearthly  sound,  and  re 
verberated  through  the  forest  like  the  roll 
of  distant  thunder.  The  warriors,  in  a  cir 
cle  apart  and  enclosing  the  whole,  were 
drinking  deeply  of  fermented  liquors,  pro 
duced  from  the  palm  and  the  maize,  which 
ever  and  anon  they  shared  with  the  dancers. 
This  they  would  do,  we  were  told,  until  all 
had  drunken  themselves  into  a  frenzy,  and 
the  dancers  became  exhausted  from  fatigue 
and  drunkenness  combined.  Judge,  then, 
73 


VASCO   NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

O  Comandante,  if  we  should  have  been  jus 
tified  in  attempting  to  bring  away  the  ca 
cique's  daughter,  thy  mistress  and  spouse." 

4 'And  she  was  there,  also?  Was  my 
Cacica  there,  performing  in  those  horrid 
ceremonies  so  barbarous  and  so  vile?" 

"  Truly  was  she,  one  of  the  foremost  in 
ladling  out  the  liquor  and  entreating  the 
warriors  to  drink.  But,  so  far  as  we  could 
observe,  she  did  not  herself  partake  thereof. 
Nor  did  she  allow,  nor  was  there  offered  her, 
any  indignity;  but  great  respect  seemed  ac 
corded  her,  as  the  daughter  of  the  chief." 

Balboa  groaned  in  spirit,  but  his  pride 
forbade  him  making  audible  comment  on 
the  strange  proceedings  of  his  bride.  An 
other  day  he  waited,  expectant  of  her  com 
ing;  but  he  did  not  remain  idle  meanwhile, 
since,  having  little  faith  in  the  friendship  of 
the  cacique,  he  ordered  out  all  his  men-at- 
arms  and  prepared  to  receive  the  savages 
with  fire  and  sword,  provided  they  should 
rouse  themselves  to  frenzy  and  attack  the 
settlement. 

Nothing  of  a  disturbing  character  occurred, 

however,  and  when,  on  the  evening  of  that 

day,  Balboa  sought  his  hut,  worn  down  with 

fatigue  and  sorely  perplexed  in  his  mind, 

74 


THE    CACIQUES    OF    DARIEN 

his  still  beloved  Cacica  came  forth  to  greet 
him.  How  she  had  come  he  knew  not,  nor 
did  he  ever  discover,  though  the  settlement 
was  surrounded  by  sentinels  specially  charged 
to  watch  for  and  detect  her  presence.  Like 
a  spirit,  or  an  invisible  bird  of  the  night,  she 
had  flitted  through  the  cordon  of  sentinels 
and  gained  her  house  without  being  detected 
by  one  of  them.  They  declared  afterwards, 
one  and  all,  that  she  must  have  been  in 
league  with  the  powers  of  the  air  and,  pre 
sumably,  evil — endued  of  the  devil — to  have 
accomplished  this  feat.  But  none  durst  say 
a  word  of  this  to  their  commander,  for  he 
was  still  infatuated  with  the  beautiful  prin 
cess — sure  token,  the  soldiers  affirmed  among 
themselves,  that  she  was  a  witch,  for  whom 
burning  at  the  stake  might  be  too  mild  a 
punishment. 

However  Vasco  Nunez  may  have  been 
vexed  by  this  misadventure  of  his  beloved, 
he  gave  no  sign  of  it,  or,  if  he  did,  was  soon 
soothed  by  her  blandishments  into  appar 
ent  forget  fulness.  But  in  the  minds  of  both 
had  been  begotten  a  distrust  that  was  des 
tined  to  work  havoc  with  the  good  under 
standing  that  should  ever  exist  between 
people  situated  as  were  they.  Soon  after, 
75 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

seeming  confidence  was  restored  between  the 
settlers  and  the  Indians,  who  came  and  went 
as  formerly,  bringing  provisions  from  their 
gardens,  which  they  exchanged  for  knives, 
beads,  and  toys  from  Spain.  They  gained 
access  to  the  settlement  as  simple  traffickers, 
intent  on  adding  to  their  store  of  trinkets 
and  trifles ;  but  Balboa  divined  that  they  had 
other  incentives,  in  fact,  and  came  as  spies. 
Still,  he  did  not  allow  his  suspicions  to  be 
come  apparent  to  Careta,  with  whom  he  had 
formed  an  offensive  and  defensive  alliance 
for  their  mutual  protection. 

In  the  mountains  resided  a  cacique  al 
ready  mentioned  named  Ponca,  a  rival  and 
adversary  of  Careta,  who  wished  the  Span 
iards  to  join  with  him  in  an  invasion  of  his 
territory.  There  was  no  immediate  neces 
sity  for  the  Spaniards  to  make  war  upon 
Cacique  Ponca,  as  he  had  not  offended  them 
in  any  particular,  nor  were  they  in  need  of 
a  further  extension  of  territory,  since  the 
valley  they  had  occupied,  situated  between 
the  sierras  and  the  cordillera  of  the  Andes, 
was  extremely  fertile  and  capable  of  sus 
taining  a  great  number  of  inhabitants.  It 
was  not  only  excellent  for  planting,  with 
rich  soil  and  abundant  natural  resources, 
76 


THE    CACIQUES    OF    DARIEN 

which  came  early  to  perfection  beneath  the 
ardent  sun  of  the  tropics,  but  abounded  in 
game,  while  its  rivers  and  the  bordering  gulf 
teemed  with  fish  in  great  variety. 

But  the  Spaniards  were  less  inclined  to 
agriculture  than  to  war,  and  would  rather 
ravage  their  neighbors'  territory  for  gold 
than  extract  from  the  fertile  soil  the  prod 
ucts  it  so  generously  yielded  to  the  culti 
vator.  Had  they  been  less  covetous  and 
restless,  less  avaricious  and  rapacious,  they 
might  have  avoided  contact  with  the  fero 
cious  tribes  of  the  interior,  and  perhaps  have 
prospered.  There  was,  however,  an  unseen 
force  at  work  constantly  against  them  which 
they  could  not  successfully  combat.  This 
was  the  climate,  which  made  terrible  inroads 
upon  the  health  and  constitutions  of  the 
Spaniards,  by  the  great  heat  and  humidity 
of  the  air,  and  the  heavy,  almost  incessant 
rains,  which  came  down  at  times  as  plung 
ing  torrents. 

Nothing  less  than  the  most  unquenchable 
ardor  and  the  most  marvellous  resolution, 
says  the  historian,  could  support  the  Span 
iards  under  so  many  discouragements  and 
overcome  so  many  difficulties.  Perhaps  it 
was  because  they  possessed  this  ardor  in  an 
77 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

excessive  degree  that  they  continually  pant 
ed  for  fresh  conquests  and  desired  to  come 
into  conflict  with  the  savages.  Their  great 
incentive,  as  already  remarked,  was  the  ac 
quisition  of  gold,  and,  learning  that  Cacique 
Ponca  possessed  the  precious  metal  in  abun 
dance,  they  were  easily  induced  to  join  with 
Careta  in  an  attack  upon  him.  Taking  his 
troops  by  sea  to  the  point  nearest  to  Ponca 's 
capital,  Balboa  marched  rapidly  upon  the 
village,  which,  finding  it  deserted,  he  sacked 
and  burned.  He  obtained  considerable  booty, 
to  which  his  ally,  Careta,  laid  no  claim,  being 
content  with  having  humbled  his  adversary 
and  driven  him  still  farther  into  the  moun 
tains,  whence  Ponca  sent  messengers  im 
ploring  a  cessation  of  hostilities. 

Having  ''pacified"  the  country,  Balboa 
was  for  returning  to  Darien,  but  was  per 
suaded  by  Careta  to  diverge  to  his  own  prov 
ince,  where  he  was  royally  entertained  by 
the  cacique.  The  latter  had  a  neighbor,  one 
Comogre,  who  was  yet  more  powerful  than 
himself,  having  about  ten  thousand  Indians 
under  him,  three  thousand  of  whom  were 
warriors.  His  province  comprised  an  ex 
tensive  plain  and  beautiful  valleys,  situated 
at  or  near  the  foot  of  a  very  lofty  mountain, 
78 


THE    CACIQUES    OF    DARIEN 

which  rose  far  above  the  general  altitude  of 
the  cordillera,  or  backbone  of  the  isthmus. 
Messengers  sent  by  Comogre  guided  Balboa 
to  this  province,  in  the  capital  of  which  the 
cacique  awaited  his  coming.  As  the  Span 
iards  approached,  Comogre  came  out  to  wel 
come  them,  attended  by  a  train  of  sub- 
chiefs,  and  followed  by  a  vast  number  of  his 
subjects.  Included  in  his  suite  were  seven 
stalwart  young  men,  his  own  sons  by  as 
many  different  wives,  of  whom  he  was  in 
ordinately  proud.  Each  son  had  a  habita 
tion  of  his  own,  but  that  of  the  cacique  sur 
passed  anything  of  the  sort  the  Spaniards 
had  seen  in  the  land,  for  it  was  "an  edifice 
of  an  hundred  and  fifty  paces  in  length  and 
fourscore  in  breadth,  built  on  stout  posts, 
surrounded  by  a  lofty  wall,  and  on  the  roof 
an  attic  story  of  beautiful  and  skilfully  in 
terwoven  woods.  It  was  divided  into  sev 
eral  compartments,  and  contained  its  mark 
ets,  its  shops,  and  a  pantheon  for  the  dead, 
where  the  dried  corpses  of  the  cacique's  an 
cestors  were  hung  in  ghastly  rows." 

These  corpses  were  in  a  retired  and  secret 
part  of  the  structure,  says  the  historian,  set 
apart  for  that  special  purpose.  The  bodies 
had  been  dried  by  fire  (as  already  narrated 

6  79 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

in  the  account  of  Careta's  ancestors),  so  as 
to  free  them  from  corruption,  and  after 
wards  wrapped  in  mantles  richly  wrought 
and  interwoven  with  pearls  and  jewels  of 
gold,  and  with  certain  stones  considered 
precious  by  the  Indians.  There  they  hung 
about  the  hall,  suspended  by  cords  of  cot 
ton,  and  were  regarded  not  only  with  rever 
ence,  but  apparently  with  religious  devotion. 
The  Spaniards  gazed  upon  them  in  amaze 
ment,  not  unmingled  with  a  burning  desire 
to  despoil  this  hall  of  fame  and  secure  for 
themselves  its  wonderful  treasures. 


VI 

FIRST   TIDINGS   OF   THE    PACIFIC 
1512 

CACIQUE  Comogre's  sons  were  young 
men  of  whom  any  father,  savage  or 
civilized,  might  have  been  proud,  but  espe 
cially  distinguished  for  his  intelligence  and 
sagacity  (says  the  Spanish  biographer  of 
Balboa,  Senor  Quintana)  was  his  eldest  son, 
who  was  also  his  father's  favorite.  He  took 
note  of  the  glances  exchanged  by  Balboa 
and  his  lieutenant,  Colmenares,  when  they 
were  inspecting  the  pantheon,  and  rightly 
construed  their  meaning,  which  was,  of 
course,  that  they  would  give  much  for  the 
privilege  of  sacking  the  place  and  depriving 
the  sacred  dead  of  their  rich  ornaments. 
He  had  been  informed  of  what  had  taken 
place  in  his  neighbor  Careta's  province,  and 
knew  that  neither  the  opposition  to  their 
rapacity  of  argument  or  force,  nor  any  con 
sideration  for  religion  or  the  dead,  could 
81 


VASCO   NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

restrain  them  were  they  to  conceive  the  de 
sire  to  ravish  the  sepulchres  of  his  ancestors. 

His  father  had  three  thousand  warriors, 
ferocious  and  reliable ;  but,  from  what  he  had 
been  told  by  Cacique  Careta,  who  had  tasted 
their  quality  and  tested  their  valor,  they 
could  not  stand  for  an  hour  before  the  two 
hundred  Spaniards  then  in  his  province. 
The  mailed  men,  Careta  said,  would  scatter 
them  like  chaff,  and,  with  the  fire  from  their 
muskets  and  cannon,  devour  them  as  the 
flames  consumed  the  grass  of  the  plains. 
Then  he  conceived  the  idea  of  purchasing 
exemption  from  ravage  by  bribing  the  com 
manders,  in  the  hope  that  by  so  doing  they 
would  refrain  from  desecrating  the  tombs 
he  held  in  such  regard.  But  he  did  not 
know,  what  he  was  later  to  learn,  that  the 
more  the  Spaniard  obtained  the  greater  grew 
his  appetite,  and  that  by  displaying  the 
wealth  of  the  land  he  was  but  hastening  its 
ruin.  Simple  son  of  Comogre!  He  had, 
then,  much  to  learn. 

After  consulting  with  his  father,  who  was 
elated  that  a  son  of  his  should  possess  such 
sagacity  and  penetration,  the  young  cacique 
sent  for  Balboa  and  Colmenares,  who  met 
him  in  the  great  square  of  the  town.  "  Great 
82 


FIRST   TIDINGS   OF   THE    PACIFIC 

and  worthy  ones,"  he  said,  "here  are  sixty 
slaves,  male  and  female  are  they — all  are 
yours,  to  be  divided  between  you  as  may 
seem  desirable  to  both.  And  here,  great  and 
worthy  ones,  are  golden  ornaments,  taken 
from  the  hoard  saved  by  our  fathers.  To  us 
they  are  of  use  only  as  mementos  of  the  dead, 
for  to  the  accumulation  of  riches  we  are  not 
given,  being  content  with  what  we  can  eat 
and  what  we  need  to  protect  us  from  the 
elements.  We  give  you  these  things  freely, 
because  we  see  that  you  value  gold  above 
all  else,  and  because  we  would  find  favor  in 
your  eyes  and  desire  your  friendship." 

Balboa  and  Colmenares  were  at  first  over 
come  with  astonishment,  but  when  they  re 
covered  speech  they  thanked  the  cacique 
and  his  son  in  extravagant  language — and 
then  began  to  quarrel  over  the  division  of 
the  treasure.  The  slaves  were  of  some  ac 
count,  but  the  chief  treasure  consisted  in  the 
gold,  which,  when  they  had  weighed  and 
carefully  estimated  its  value,  was  found  to 
amount  to  four  thousand  crowns.  Most  of 
it  was  in  the  shape  of  animals  of  various 
sorts,  and  must  have  caused  the  native  ar 
tisans  great  labor ;  but  of  this  the  avaricious 
Spaniards  took  no  account,  and  all  went  into 
83 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

the  melting-pot,  greatly  to  the  grief  of  the 
young  cacique. 

Having  always  the  fear  of  his  sovereign 
in  mind,  and  the  potentiality  of  gold  to  buy 
the  king's  favor,  Balboa  first  set  aside  a  fifth 
part  for  royalty,  which  was  to  be  despatched 
to  Spain  at  the  first  opportunity.  Then  he 
attempted  to  divide  the  remainder  between 
himself  and  companions;  "but  this  division 
begat  a  dispute  that  gave  rise  to  threats  and 
violence,  which,  being  observed  by  the  high- 
minded  Indian,  he  suddenly  overthrew  the 
scales  in  which  they  were  weighing  the  pre 
cious  metal,  exclaiming:  'Why  quarrel  for 
such  a  trifle  ?  If  such  is  your  thirst  for  gold 
that  for  sake  of  it  you  forsake  your  own 
country  and  come  to  trouble  us  in  ours,  I 
will  show  you  a  province  where  you  may 
gather  it  up  by  the  handful — yea,  and  carry 
it  off  by  the  backload!'" 

When,  by  a  blow  of  his  fist,  the  spirited 
savage  had  overturned  the  scales  and  scat 
tered  the  gold  on  the  ground,  the  Spaniards 
standing  by  were  greatly  enraged ;  but  when 
his  speech  was  finally  translated  to  them 
they  were  exceedingly  astonished,  and  desir 
ous  of  learning  more  respecting  that  golden 
province  of  which  he  told  them. 
84 


FIRST    TIDINGS    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

" Where  is  it?"  demanded  Balboa  and 
Colmenares,  in  a  breath.  "  Show  us  the  way, 
and  we  will  follow  you  at  once." 

"Nay,  nay,"  answered  the  young  man, 
with  a  shake  of  his  head.  "It  lies  beyond 
those  lofty  mountains,  far  to  the  south. 
Beyond  them,  again,  extends  a  mighty  ocean, 
a  glimpse  of  which  may  be  gained  from  the 
mountain- peaks,  but  it  is  many  days  dis 
tant  to  the  west  and  the  south.  To  succeed 
in  getting  there,  you  should  be  more  numer 
ous  than  you  now  are,  and  will  need  at  least 
a  thousand  men,  even  though  with  coats 
like  those  you  have  on,  which  neither  spears 
nor  arrows  can  pierce.  For  you  will  have 
to  contend  with  powerful  kings,  who  will 
defend  their  dominions  with  vigor.  You 
will  first  find  a  cacique  who  is  very  rich  in 
gold,  who  resides  at  the  distance  of  six  suns 
from  here.  Climbing  the  mountains,  ever 
climbing,  climbing,  you  will  reach  their  sum 
mits,  and  then  behold  the  sea,  which  lies  in 
that  part."  And  he  pointed  to  the  south. 
"There  you  will  meet  with  people  who  navi 
gate  in  barks  with  sails  and  oars,  not  much  less 
than  your  own  in  size,  and  who  are  so  rich 
that  they  eat  and  drink  from  vessels  made 
from  the  metal  which  you  so  much  covet." 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

This  was  the  first  information  conveyed 
to  the  Spaniards  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and 
Peru,  and  they  were  vastly  excited  over  it, 
endeavoring  to  get  the  young  man  to  furnish 
them  further  details  of  the  country  inter 
vening,  as  well  as  of  the  great  sea,  its  extent 
and  situation. 

''Go  back  to  your  settlement,"  continued 
the  young  cacique,  "there  to  prepare  for  a 
journey  of  many  days.  Select  your  stoutest 
and  bravest  soldiers,  and  provide  them  well 
with  food  and  weapons.  Then  return  to  us, 
and  we  will  furnish  you  guides.  My  father's 
warriors  will  go  with  you ;  but  of  yourselves, 
as  I  said,  you  should  be  a  thousand  strong- 
no  less  than  that — for  we  shall  meet  hosts 
of  warriors,  some  of  them  cannibals,  who 
eat  the  flesh  of  men,  and  all  of  them  fierce 
fighters,  such  as  those  of  the  cacique  Tubana- 
ma,  in  whose  province  is  gold  beyond  meas 
ure.  Stay,  I  will  send  for  one  of  my  men 
who  was  once  a  captive  to  Tubanama",  and 
he  will  tell  you  the  same." 

The  quick-witted  cacique  had  seen  dis 
trust  lurking  in  Balboa's  eyes,  and,  indeed, 
the  Spanish  commander  conceived  this  might 
be  but  a  scheme  to  get  him  out  of  Comogre's 
country  and  into  the  mountains,  where  he 
86 


FIRST    TIDINGS    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

might  be  swallowed  up  in  the  wilderness  and 
never  return  to  the  colony,  which  would  be 
attacked  by  the  Indians  and  destroyed. 
But  the  former  captive  of  Tubanama,  who 
was  questioned  separately  from  the  young 
cacique,  confirmed  the  latter 's  story  in 
every  particular,  and  verified  his  account 
of  gold  which  might  be  found  in  all  the 
streams,  as  well  as  accumulated  in  the 
cacique's  treasuries. 

Then  Balboa,  says  one  who  was  near  him 
and  saw  the  journal  he  wrote  with  his  own 
hand,  was  transported  by  the  prospect  of 
glory  and  fortune  which  opened  before  him. 
He  believed  himself  already  at  the  gates  of 
the  East  Indies,  which  was  the  desired  ob 
ject  of  the  government  and  the  discoverers 
of  that  period.  He  resolved  to  return,  in 
the  first  place,  to  Darien,  to  raise  the  spirits 
of  his  companions  .there  with  these  brilliant 
hopes,  and  to  make  all  possible  preparations 
for  realizing  them.  He  remained,  neverthe 
less,  yet  a  few  days  with  the  caciques,  and 
so  warm  was  the  friendship  he  contracted 
with  them  that  they  and  their  families  were 
baptized,  Careta  taking  in  baptism  the  name 
of  Fernando,  and  Comogre  that  of  Carlos. 
Balboa  then  returned  to  Darien,  rich  in  the 
87 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

spoils  of  Ponca,  rich  in  the  presents  of  his 
friends,  and  still  richer  in  the  golden  hopes 
which  the  future  offered  him. 

Darien  was  in  sore  straits  when,  elated  with 
his  several  victories,  Balboa  marched  into 
the  settlement  at  the  head  of  his  little  army. 
Notoriously  improvident  as  they  were,  the 
Spaniards  had  planted,  notwithstanding,  a 
large  tract  with  maize,  or  Indian-corn,  and 
were  looking  forward  to  gathering  a  harvest, 
when  down  from  the  mountains  swept  a 
torrent,  accompanied  by  a  tempest  with 
thunder  and  lightning,  and  in  an  hour  their 
fields  were  totally  ruined.  Starvation  stared 
them  in  the  face,  but  about  this  time  the 
regidor,  Valdivia,  who  had  been  sent  to  Santo 
Domingo  by  Balboa,  with  gold  for  Diego 
Columbus,  returned  in  a  small  vessel  well 
laden  with  provisions. 

These  stores  were  soon  consumed,  and 
Valdivia  returned  to  the  island,  bearing  a 
rich  present  for  Don  Diego  and  fifteen  thou 
sand  crowns  in  gold  for  King  Ferdinand. 
This  amount  of  gold,  it  was  estimated,  was 
due  the  sovereign  as  the  royal  fifth,  which 
was  exacted  from  all  treasure  obtained  in 
America.  As  there  was  frequent  communi 
cation  between  Santo  Domingo  and  Spain, 
88 


FIRST    TIDINGS    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

and  as,  moreover,  Don  Diego  Columbus  was 
viceroy  over  the  islands,  and  Terra  Firma 
as  well,  it  was  proper  and  politic  to  send  the 
treasure  by  the  hands  of  the  admiral.  The 
latter  had  sent  abundant  promises  of  aid, 
but,  though  Balboa  represented  that  it  was 
necessary  for  him  to  have  at  least  a  thousand 
men  as  a  reinforcement,  it  is  not  on  record 
that  he  ever  got  them.  He  had  in  mind  the 
invasion  of  the  country  contiguous  to  the 
great  sea,  which,  Comogre's  son  had  told  him, 
would  demand  more  than  a  thousand  sol 
diers,  fully  armed  and  equipped.  Failing  to 
interest  Don  Diego  in  the  scheme,  Valdivia 
was  instructed  to  sail  from  Santo  Domingo 
for  Spain  and  lay  it  before  the  king,  who,  in 
view  of  the  large  amount  of  gold  remitted, 
might  feel  inclined  to  accede  to  his  modest 
request. 

Valdivia  sailed  from  Antigua  del  Darien, 
bearing  with  him  the  king's  fifth,  and  charged 
with  Balboa's  message,  which  was  empha 
sized  by  a  startling  statement  that  unless 
the  needed  troops  were  despatched  without 
delay,  he  should  be  obliged,  in  self-defence, 
to  exterminate  all  the  caciques  on  the 
isthmus.  He  had  already,  he  wrote,  slain 
thirty  caciques,  mainly  with  his  own  hand, 
89 


VASCO    NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

and  "must  in  like  manner  destroy  every  one 
he  should  capture,  as  the  small  number  of 
his  troops  left  him  no  alternative."  We 
may  probably  take  this  message  as  evidence, 
rather,  of  Balboa's  skill  with  the  "  long  bow," 
already  alluded  to,  than  of  the  slaughter  he 
committed  with  more  potent  weapons,  for 
he  certainly  possessed  a  vivid  imagination. 

Valdivia,  the  regidor,  sailed  for  the  island 
and  Spain,  but  was  never  heard  of  more,  and 
it  is  probable  that  his  ship  went  down  with 
all  on  board.  With  him,  also,  went  the 
fifteen  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  besides  other 
sums,  sent  by  Balboa  and  his  men  to  satisfy 
their  creditors  in  Santo  Domingo.  Truly, 
an  evil  genius  pursued  him,  he  was  prone 
to  say,  for,  labor  as  he  might,  he  could  not 
make  head  against  his  adverse  fortune. 
Greater  opportunities  were  given  him,  per 
haps,  than  to  any  man  then  living  since  the 
days  of  Columbus,  and  it  cannot  be  truly 
said  that  he  did  not  improve  them  to  the 
utmost;  but  every  great  endeavor  of  his 
came  to  naught.  He  was  ardent  and  gen 
erous,  and  he  was  sane,  save  where  his  pas 
sions  were  concerned.  His  command  over 
men  was  a  marvel  to  all  who  knew  him,  and 
there  was  not  a  soldier  in  his  command  who 
90 


FIRST   TIDINGS    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

would  hesitate  to  follow  him  anywhere.  He 
never  told  his  men  to  go,  but  always  asked 
them  to  come,  for  he  was  ever  in  the  fore 
front  of  battle,  and  the  more  desperate  the 
enterprise,  the  more  anxious  was  he  to  take 
part  in  it  and  assume  the  leadership. 

Life  in  the  settlement  irked  him  greatly, 
says  his  Spanish  biographer,  and  although  it 
was  essential  to  its  peace  and  prosperity 
that  he  should  stay  in  it  a  certain  length  of 
time,  in  order  to  place  the  town  in  a  posture 
of  defence  and  encourage  the  waning  spirits 
of  the  settlers,  his  active  and  enterprising 
disposition  would  allow  him  no  rest.  He 
had  desired  to  go  in  person  to  present  his 
cause  to  the  court,  but  his  fellow-settlers 
would  not  hear  of  it.  They  were  already 
sadly  distressed  by  their  losses,  through  the 
inimical  effects  of  the  climate  and  the  re 
peated  attacks  of  the  Indians,  and  there 
seemed  to  be  no  one  but  Balboa  who  could 
hold  them  where  they  were.  What  they 
had  really  gained  was  very  little,  since  their 
harvests  were  washed  away  by  the  floods, 
and  the  gold  they  had  acquired  was  useless, 
without  marts  in  which  to  purchase  the 
things  they  most  required  to  sustain  life. 

In  order  to  keep  them  from  seizing  a  vessel 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

and  departing  for  more  attractive  regions, 
Balboa  conceived  the  plan  of  invading  the 
dominions  of  Dobaybe,  which  lay  around  the 
head  of  the  gulf,  and  contiguous  to  the  can 
nibal  country  on  its  eastern  boundary.  He 
was  obliged  to  await  the  return  of  Valdivia 
with  reinforcements,  if  he  would  invade  the 
great  and  opulent  region  beyond  the  moun 
tains,  but  meanwhile  there  came  to  him  in 
formation  of  a  character  that  fanned  to  a 
flame  the  slumbering  desire  to  achieve  a 
great  discovery.  An  Indian  was  brought  to 
him  one  morning,  who  said  he  was  the  sub 
ject  of  a  great  cacique  living  in  a  golden 
realm  of  the  interior  about  one  hundred 
miles  from  Darien.  Its  capital  was  situated 
on  the  bank  of  the  very  river  that  emptied 
itself,  by  many  mouths,  into  the  Gulf  of 
Urabd.  Its  riches  were  prodigious,  and  it 
derived  its  name  from  a  wondrous  goddess 
of  most  ancient  times,  who,  according  to 
Indian  tradition,  was  the  mother  of  the  god 
who  had  created  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the 
stars.  She  also  controlled  the  elements,  he 
said,  sending  great  storms,  with  thunder  and 
lightning,  which  destroyed  the  habitations 
of  those  who  did  not  worship  her  fervently, 
but  rewarding  those  who  did  with  abundant 
92 


FIRST    TIDINGS    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

crops  and  success  in  battle.  According  to 
some,  this  goddess  had  been  at  one  time  an 
Indian  princess,  whose  capital  was  in  the 
mountains  of  Dobaybe,  and  in  whose  mem 
ory,  after  her  death,  a  temple  had  been 
erected  containing  a  golden  idol,  which  was 
still  worshipped  by  the  natives.  Both  tem 
ple  and  idol  were  made  of  gold,  and  to  the 
holy  shrine  it  was  the  wont  of  Indians  far 
and  near  to  make  annual  pilgrimages,  for 
the  purpose  of  making  offerings  of  their 
wealth.  Thus,  in  the  course  of  centuries, 
the  golden  temple  had  become  filled  with 
treasure  of  inestimable  value.  Its  walls 
were  adorned  with  plates  of  gold,  and  its 
vaults  filled  with  the  precious  metal,  veins 
of  which  radiated  from  them  to  the  various 
mines  with  which  the  region  abounded. 

The  idol  and  the  temple  were  of  them 
selves  sufficient  to  arouse  the  predatory  in 
stinct  of  the  Spaniards;  but  not  alone  was 
their  cupidity  appealed  to,  for  Balboa  was 
informed  that  his  old  enemy  Zemaco  had 
retreated  to  the  province  of  Dobaybe,  and 
was  engaged  in  arousing  its  cacique  to  re 
sistance.  Inflamed,  then,  by  a  lust  for  gold 
and  their  desire  for  revenge,  the  followers  of 
Balboa  volunteered  so  readily  for  the  des- 
93 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

perate  enterprise  that  he  had  difficulty  in  re 
taining  any  able-bodied  soldiers  for  the  de 
fence  of  the  settlement.  One  hundred  and 
seventy  were  finally  selected,  and  embark 
ing  them  in  two  brigantines,  under  command 
of  himself  and  Colmenares,  Balboa  sailed  up 
the  gulf  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  draining 
the  golden  country. 

While  nothing  more  was  ever  heard  of  Bal 
boa's  friend,  the  regidor,  yet  tidings  indirectly 
came  to  the  Spaniards,  in  the  course  of 
Cortes 's  voyage  to  Yucatan,  in  the  year  1519. 
When  his  fleet  was  off  that  coast,  a  rumor 
reached  him  that  two  Spaniards  were  held 
captive  by  a  cacique  of  the  interior.  One  of 
these  was  rescued,  and  proved  of  inestimable 
value  to  Cortes  in  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  as 
an  interpreter.  His  name  was  Aguilar,  and 
he  informed  his  rescuers  that  he  and  another 
were  the  only  survivors  of  the  shipwreck,  all 
the  rest,  thirteen  men  and  two  women,  hav 
ing  been  sacrificed,  or  killed  by  hard  usage. 


VII 

A  SEARCH  FOR  THE  GOLDEN  TEMPLE 


NOTHING  seemed  impossible  to  the  Span 
iards  of  Balboa's  time,  nothing  seemed 
incredible,  and  thus  it  was  that  this  small 
band  of  soldiers  set  forth  in  full  confi 
dence  that  they  could  subdue  any  force 
they  might  encounter,  and  trustfully  accept 
ing  the  wild  story  told  them  by  the  Indian. 
They  were  the  pick  of  the  force  at  Darien, 
the  hardiest  and  stoutest-hearted,  and  they 
were  armed  with  the  best  weapons  known  to 
their  age.  These  weapons,  indeed,  were  not 
such  as  would  satisfy  a  soldier  of  the  present 
day,  for,  besides  pikes,  swords,  lances  or 
halberds,  and  cross-bows,  they  had  as  a 
fire-arm  only  the  rude  arquebuse,  or  clumsy 
musket,  which  was  a  heavy  burden  to  carry 
and  rarely  did  effective  execution.  It  was 
so  heavy  as  to  demand  a  "rest,"  or  support, 
which  was  usually  afforded  by  a  pronged  up- 
?  95 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

right  of  iron,  or  a  crotched  stick;  and  be 
sides  being  difficult  to  properly  charge  with 
powder  and  ball,  it  required  the  musketeer 
to  carry  constantly  a  lighted  match,  or  fusee, 
with  which  to  ignite  the  powder  in  the  pan. 

Most  soldiers  preferred  the  powerful  cross 
bow,  with  which  the  best  of  them  could 
drive  nails  almost  as  far  as  they  could  see 
them.  But  these  weapons  were  not  so  far 
superior  to  the  bows  possessed  by  the  Indians 
that  they  gave  their  owners  great  advantage, 
and  besides,  the  savages  were  generally  more 
powerful  of  arm  than  the  Spaniards,  as  well 
as  equally  expert  with  bow  and  arrow.  The 
chosen  weapon  of  the  Spaniard  was  the 
sword,  and  the  cavalier  who  possessed  a  good 
"Toledo,"  with  blade  that  could  be  bent 
double  without  breaking,  and  with  an  edge 
that  nothing  could  turn,  considered  himself 
more  than  the  equal  of  any  warrior  that 
might  oppose  him,  whether  armed  with  bow, 
spear,  pike,  or  war-club. 

The  vast  superiority  of  the  Spaniards  over 
the  savages  consisted  in  their  armor,  for 
protected  as  most  of  them  were,  by  helmet, 
corselet,  gauntlets,  cuishes  for  the  thighs  and 
greaves  for  the  legs  —  arrows,  spears,  and 
even  war -clubs  glanced  harmlessly  from  their 
96 


A  SEARCH   FOR   THE  GOLDEN   TEMPLE 

panoply  of  steel.  They  were  often  wounded, 
some  of  them  killed  outright,  in  their  des 
perate  encounters  with  the  Indians;  but  the 
greater  number  of  their  casualties  were  the 
result  of  carelessness  or  neglect  to  properly 
encase  themselves  in  defensive  armor.  Heavy 
and  cumbersome  as  it  was,  few  men  could 
support  the  weight  of  metal  it  was  neces 
sary  for  the  armed  soldier  to  carry,  and  es 
pecially  in  the  tropics  was  the  burden  found 
intolerable.  So  it  happened  frequently  that 
the  soldiers  were  surprised  by  the  savages 
without  their  armor,  which  they  may  have 
doffed  for  temporary  relief,  or  have  delivered 
over  to  a  slave  to  carry  for  them.  At  such 
times  there  was  found  to  be  little  difference 
between  savage  and  civilized  soldier,  and 
the  former  fought  his  opponent  on  nearly 
equal  terms. 

Balboa  may  have  taken  with  him  a  few 
falconets,  or  light  field-pieces,  but  if  so  they 
were  not  used  in  conflict  with  the  Indians 
on  this  enterprise,  and  the  prestige  which 
the  white  men  had  derived  from  their  fire 
arms  was  maintained  by  the  arquebusiers, 
or  musketeers,  who  frightened  the  Indians 
with  the  loud  reports  of  their  guns  and 
volumes  of  sulphurous  powder-smoke,  but 
97 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

did  little  execution.  The  commander  him 
self  carried  as  his  only  weapon  his  invincible 
sword,  the  blade  of  which  had  been  forged 
at  Toledo,  and  brought  to  an  exquisite  tem 
per  in  the  waters  of  the  Tagus.  For  defence 
he  relied  upon  the  armor  in  which  he  was 
encased,  and  the  Saracenic  shield,  or  buckler, 
which  hung  from  his  shoulders  or  was  car 
ried  on  his  left  arm,  the  right  wielding  the 
basket-hilted  sword. 

When  Balboa  reached  the  river,  which 
came  down  from  the  mountains  far  away, 
he  knew  not  which  branch  of  it  to  take, 
there  were  so  many  mouths,  and  all  navi 
gable,  so  far  as  he  could  see.  Taking  his  stand 
in  the  prow  of  the  brigantine,  he  guided 
his  little  fleet  into  the  largest  stream  he 
could  find,  and  then,  sending  Colmenares  to 
explore  another  branch,  he  proceeded  on  his 
way  to  what  he  thought  was  Dobaybe  prov 
ince.  After  threading  his  way  through  a 
perfect  labyrinth  of  morasses,  and  without 
getting  a  glimpse  of  a  single  Indian,  he  at 
last  came  to  a  deserted  village.  The  huts 
were  empty,  containing  neither  inhabitants 
or  provisions ;  but  hanging  from  their  rafters 
were  many  jewelled  weapons  and  golden  or 
naments,  so  that  the  Spaniards  obtained 
98 


A  SEARCH  FOR  THE  GOLDEN  TEMPLE 

booty  from  this  silent  village  to  the  estimated 
value  of  seven  thousand  castellanos.  This 
they  stowed  away  in  two  large  canoes,  which 
had  been  picked  up  along  the  river-bank, 
and  then,  discouraged  at  the  gloomy  out 
look,  Balboa  gave  the  order  to  return  to  the 
gulf.  On  the  way  a  violent  storm  assailed 
these  invaders  of  the  country  ruled  by 
Dobaybe's  deity,  sent,  the  trembling  Indians 
said,  in  revenge  for  this  affront  offered  her 
by  the  unbelieving  white  men.  The  brig- 
antine  was  in  such  danger  of  sinking  that 
half  her  cargo  was  thrown  overboard,  to 
save  her,  while  the  two  canoes  laden  with 
the  booty  were  overwhelmed  by  the  waters 
of  the  gulf  and  went  down  with  all  on  board. 
Thus  far  the  expedition  had  proved  worse 
than  fruitless;  but  Balboa  was  not  the  man 
to  cry  "enough"  until  every  means  had  been 
exhausted  to  gain  what  he  was  seeking. 
The  river  he  had  entered,  and  which  he  had 
the  honor  of  discovering,  was  far  greater 
than  he  imagined,  for  it  has  its  source,  say 
the  geographers,  nine  or  ten  hundred  miles 
distant  from  the  Gulf  of  Uraba,  in  the  cor- 
dilleras  of  the  Andes.  The  volume  of  its 
waters  was  such  as  to  freshen  the  sea  for 
many  leagues  from  the  shore.  It  was  named 
99 


VASCO    NUNEZ   DE   BALBOA 

by  Balboa  the  St.  John,  but  is  now  known 
as  the  Darien  and  the  Atrato.  Working 
his  way  into  the  branch  of  the  river  ascended 
by  Colmenares,  Balboa  overtook  his  com 
panion,  and  together  they  entered  a  tribu 
tary  of  the  main  stream  which,  from  the 
color  of  its  waters,  they  called  the  Rio  Negro, 
or  Black  River.  Its  color  was  derived,  they 
ascertained,  from  the  black  mud  of  a  sub 
merged  region  through  which  it  ran,  and 
where  they  discovered  the  most  wonderful 
habitations  of  any  seen  by  the  Spaniards 
since  Vespucci  and  Ojeda  brought  to  light 
the  lake-dwellers  of  Maracaibo,  in  1499. 

As  the  brigantines  were  slowly  forced 
against  the  current  of  the  river,  now  be 
neath  the  overhanging  branches  of  huge 
trees  swarming  with  parrots,  and  again  cross 
ing  the  placid  surface  of  an  eddied  lake,  the 
excited  soldiers  caught  occasional  glimpses 
of  large  animals  ahead  climbing  the  trunks 
of  trees.  At  first  they  took  them  for  mon 
keys,  and  those  of  the  band  who  had  cross 
bows  got  them  ready  to  shoot;  for  the  flesh 
of  the  monkey  was  held  by  them  in  great 
repute,  and  their  supply  of  meat  was  ex 
hausted.  Suddenly  one  of  the  soldiers, 
who  had  climbed  to  the  mast-head  for  bet- 
100 


A  SEARCH   FOR  THE  GOLDEN  TEMPLE 

ter  observation,  cried  out:  "Those  are  not 
monkeys,  but  men!  They  are  men  and 
women  and  children;  and  behold,  there  are 
their  barbacoas,  like  nests,  perched  up  in 
the  palms  above  the  water!" 

And  it  was  as  the  soldier  had  said,  for 
there  was  a  veritable  nest  of  tree-dwellers, 
or  rather  a  collection  of  nests,  consisting  of 
wicker-work  huts  made  of  flexible  reeds  and 
vines,  fifty  or  sixty  feet  up  in  the  air.  They 
occupied  the  tops  of  the  palm-trees,  and 
each  was  large  enough  to  accommodate  a 
family,  being  divided  into  compartments, 
such  as  bedchamber,  dining  -  room,  and 
kitchen,  or  larder.  They  were  reached  by 
ladders  made  of  split  reeds  or  bamboos, 
which  the  Indians  climbed  with  the  agility 
of  monkeys.  Women  and  children,  as  well 
as  men,  went  up  and  down  the  fragile,  shak 
ing  ladders,  some  of  them  with  great  bur 
dens  on  their  backs,  with  as  little  incon 
venience  as  if  they  were  walking  on  level 
ground. 

All  their  provisions  were  kept  in  the 
aerial  houses,  which  were  well  filled,  but 
the  liquors  they  drank,  consisting  of  palm- 
wine  and  beer,  were  buried  in  earthen  jars 
at  the  roots  of  the  trees,  as  the  rocking  of 

101 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

the  habitations  would  cause  them  to  be 
come  turbid.  The  trees  grew  in  or  near 
the  water,  and  the  Indians  kept  canoes  tied 
to  their  trunks,  or  to  the  lower  ends  of  the 
ladders,  and  thus  could  embark  without 
touching  the  earth.  Their  mode  of  life,  in 
fact,  was  aerial  and  aquatic,  rather  than  ter 
restrial,  for  they  perched  in  the  trees  like 
birds,  and  sported  in  the  water  like  fish, 
upon  which  latter  they  almost  entirely  sub 
sisted.  They  rarely  hunted  the  big  game 
of  the  forest,  and  their  chief  reason  for  living 
up  in  the  trees  was  that  it  afforded  them 
security  from  wild  beasts,  especially  the 
jaguars,  which  nightly  roamed  the  woods  in 
search  of  prey. 

Balboa  was  greatly  diverted  by  these  bar- 
bacoas  up  in  the  air  and  their  agile  inhabi 
tants.  He  endeavored  to  capture  some  of 
the  latter,  but  they  were  too  spry  for  him 
and  his  clumsy  companions  in  armor,  for, 
before  they  succeeded  in  landing,  every 
member  of  the  community  was  safely  en 
sconced  aloft.  After  the  frightened  Indians 
had  scampered  up  the  ladders  they  drew 
them  into  the  tree-tops  also,  and,  consider 
ing  themselves  secure,  began  to  pelt  the 
Spaniards  with  stones.  This  was  more  than 

102 


A  SEARCH  FOR  THE  GOLDEN  TEMPLE 

their  leader  could  endure,  and,  sheltering 
himself  behind  his  buckler,  he  advanced  to 
the  tree  in  which,  as  he  was  told,  the  cacique's 
hut  was  built,  and  demanded  that  he  de 
scend  immediately.  The  only  answer  was 
a  shower  of  stones,  some  of  which  struck  his 
shield,  and  one  of  them,  glancing,  wounded 
a  companion.  Becoming  then  enraged,  Bal 
boa  ordered  an  arquebuse  to  be  fired  into 
the  tree,  and  when  the  cacique,  whose  name 
was  Abebeiba,  heard  the  loud  report  and  saw 
the  cloud  of  smoke  ascending,  as  from  a 
volcano,  he  nearly  fell  from  his  lofty  perch. 

"Hold!"  he  cried,  "I  will  descend";  but 
when  his  wives  and  family  entreated  him 
not  to  do  so,  he  wavered,  and  finally  refused 
to  budge. 

"What  have  I  done  to  thee?"  he  asked  of 
Balboa.  "  In  nothing  have  I  offended  thee 
and  thine;  now  leave  me  in  peace." 

The  grim  commander  said  nothing  in  reply, 
but  commanded  his  axemen  to  attack  the 
tree.  "When  the  old  scoundrel  sees  the 
chips  fly,"  he  remarked,  "perhaps  he  may 
change  his  mind."  Protected  by  the  sol 
diers  with  their  shields,  the  axemen  vigor 
ously  set  their  blades  into  the  palm-tree, 
and  then  the  cacique  seemed  disposed  to 
103 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

capitulate.  Down  rattled  the  long  ladder, 
and  it  had  scarcely  struck  the  ground  ere 
the  cacique  was  there  beside  it,  shaking  with 
fear  and  chattering  like  a  parrot.  After 
him  also  came  his  wives  and  their  children, 
in  a  long  and  rapidly  descending  procession, 
and  soon  they  were  grouped  around  the 
palm-tree,  which,  by  their  swift  compliance 
with  Balboa's  demand,  they  had  saved  from 
destruction. 

"We  want  gold,"  said  Balboa,  threaten 
ingly.  "If  you  have  any  up  in  that  tree, 
go  back  and  get  it  at  once." 

The  cacique  replied :  "I  have  no  gold  in 
the  tree  nor  in  any  other  place.  I  have  no 
occasion  for  gold;  but,  great  lord,  if  you  will 
allow  me  to  search  in  yonder  sierras,  I  will 
soon  return  with  a  vast  quantity,  for  there 
it  exists  and  I  know  its  hiding-place.  Be 
hold  these  wives  of  mine  and  these  sons; 
they  will  be  hostages  for  me  against  my  re 
turn." 

"It  is  well,"  answered  Balboa.  "Go,  but 
return  within  two  days.  Meanwhile,  we  will 
hold  your  family  as  hostages,  and  enjoy  the 
provisions  you  have  so  bountifully  supplied 
against  our  coming,  as  it  seems." 

The  wily  Abebeiba  departed  for  the  sierras, 
104 


A  SEARCH  FOR  THE  GOLDEN  TEMPLE 

and  the  Spaniards  watched  him  out  of  sight. 
They  saw  him  cross  the  river  in  his  canoe, 
then  plunge  into  a  thicket  on  the  opposite 
bank;  but  they  saw  him  no  more,  for  he 
never  came  back. 


VIII 

CONSPIRACY  OF  THE  CACIQUES 
1512 

BALBOA  waited  three  days  for  the  re 
turn  of  the  cacique,  with  his  brigantine, 
meanwhile,  moored  in  a  bend  of  the  stream, 
where  the  dense  vegetation  of  the  banks  met 
in  leafy  arches  overhead.  Great  trees,  their 
roots  in  the  earth  of  opposite  banks,  mingled 
their  verdant  crowns  together,  and  over  their 
trunks  (as  though  formed  by  nature  for  this 
purpose)  climbed  the  natives  of  the  region 
when  they  wished  to  cross  the  stream.  One 
of  these  arboreal  giants  bent  above  Balboa's 
brigantine,  with  its  branches  screening  the 
deck  so  effectually  that  the  soldiers  were 
nearly  always  in  refreshing  shade,  even  with 
the  sun  shining  brightly  at  noonday. 

The  heat  of  that  region  was  intense,  and 
a  shade  was  ever  grateful,  so  it  was  with 
feelings  of  disgust  that  the  sailors  and  sol 
diers  heard  Balboa,  one  day,  give  the  order 
106 


CONSPIRACY    OF    THE    CACIQUES 

to  proceed  up  the  river.  They  had  become 
attached  to  the  spot  containing  the  palm- 
trees  and  the  dwellings  in  the  air,  for  the 
habitations  afforded  them  pleasant  retreats 
when  off  duty,  and  their  occupants  received 
them  with  smiles  and  offers  of  good  cheer. 
Balboa  and  his  officers  had  taken  possession 
of  a  group  of  huts  consisting  of  the  cacique's 
and  others,  nestled  together  in  a  clump  of 
palms  hung  with  great  bunches  of  nuts  and 
flowers  amid  their  leafy  crowns.  There  their 
hammocks  were  hung,  there  they  were 
waited  on  by  nut-brown  boys  and  maidens, 
who  took  them  fruits  and  beverages,  the 
latter  so  often  that  soon  the  big  earthen  jars 
at  the  roots  of  the  trees  were  drained  of  their 
contents. 

It  was  when  apprised  of  this  fact  that 
Balboa  decided  he  would  proceed  with  the 
exploration.  "By  all  the  saints!"  he  said 
to  Colmenares,  as  the  two  reclined  lazily  in 
their  hammocks,  watching  the  smoke- wreaths 
drifting  upward,  mingled  with  most  appe 
tizing  odors  from  their  breakfast  simmering 
in  earthen  vessels  on  the  fires  beneath  the 
trees.  "By  the  saints,  Rodrigo,  this  is  a 
pleasurable  life  to  lead!" 

" De  veras  —  Of  a  truth,"  answered  Col- 
107 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

menares.  "  But,  my  commander,  have  we 
not  other  things  than  pleasure  to  con 
sider?" 

"As  thou  sayest,  Rodrigo,  we  have.  And, 
now  the  chicha  is  gone,  the  jars  are  empty, 
and  the  temptation  removed  for  the  old 
cacique  to  indulge  in  drunkenness  —  per- 
adventure  he  ever  return,  which  I  doubt — 
it  seemeth  to  me  we  had  best  move  on." 

It  was  not  often  that  Balboa  allowed  him 
self  to  relax,  as  he  had  done  here,  especially 
when  in  the  enemies'  country,  and  his  con 
science  smote  him.  Then  he  gathered  him 
self  together  and  gave  the  order  which  pro 
duced  such  discontent  among  his  men.  He 
met  their  sour  looks  blithely,  giving  them  no 
heed,  and  they  were  too  well  trained  to 
oppose  him,  even  for  a  moment.  Such  as 
were  by  duty  compelled,  bent  themselves 
to  the  oars,  while  others  cast  off  the  moor 
ings,  and  soon  the  brigantine  was  on  its  way 
again  up  the  stream.  Just  as  it  was  slipping 
out  from  beneath  the  overhanging  trees, 
there  was  a  sudden  commotion  in  the  vines 
and  branches  above  the  deck,  and  through 
the  tangled  mass  of  vegetation  dropped  a 
naked  savage.  He  was  evidently  a  warrior, 
for  in  one  hand  he  grasped  a  bow  and  bunch 
108 


CONSPIRACY    OF    THE    CACIQUES 

of  arrows,  and  in  the  other  held  a  shield  of 
jaguar-skin. 

"Ha,  what  is  this?'*  exclaimed  Balboa, 
who  was  standing  on  the  castle-deck  direct 
ing  the  departure.  "Ho,  there,  interpreter! 
Come  hither.  Surround  him,  men,  and  pre 
vent  him  from  escaping.** 

There  seemed,  however,  no  cause  for 
alarm,  as  the  warrior  was  alone  and  showed 
no  evidence  of  an  intention  either  to  attack 
the  soldiers  or  leap  overboard.  As  Balboa 
approached  him,  drawing  his  sword  from  its 
sheath  the  while,  he  stood  like  a  statue,  and 
faced  the  oncoming  soldier  without  flinching. 

"Ask  him  whence  he  comes  and  what  the 
object  of  his  coming/'  said  Balboa  to  the 
interpreter,  who,  with  others,  had  hurried  to 
the  spot. 

The  warrior  did  not  at  first  reply  to  the 
question,  repeated  by  the  interpreter,  but, 
after  gazing  about  defiantly,  finally  made  an 
swer:  "  I  come  from  the  cacique  Zemaco,  who 
hath  a  prisoner  in  his  possession,  one  of  thy 
kind,  whom  he  will  set  free  and  deliver  to 
thee  provided  thou  wilt  send  for  him.  But 
not  many  must  thou  send,  only  two  or  three, 
whom  I  will  guide  to  his  camp." 

"A  prisoner?     How  comes  he  to  have  a 
109 


VASCO   NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

prisoner?"  demanded  Balboa,  looking  around 
for  an  answer.  "We  have  lost  no  man,  of 
late.  I  misdoubt  the  story  myself,  and  be 
lieve  the  Indian  is  lying." 

"And  I  likewise,"  said  Colmenares.  "  But 
let  us  find  from  him  where  the  cacique  is 
encamped.  Where  is  Zemaco?"  he  asked 
the  warrior,  through  the  interpreter. 

"At  Dobaybe,"  was  the  answer.  "He 
guards  the  great  temple  and  its  goddess  of 
gold." 

"  Aha!"  exclaimed  Balboa.  "  Then  we  will 
go  to  him.  But  not  with  an  embassy;  in 
force  will  we  go.  How  far  is  it  to  Dobaybe  ? 
Ask  him,  interpreter?" 

"Two  days  direct,  by  land;  but  four  days 
by  river,  in  the  big  canoe,"  answered  the 
savage,  showing  his  teeth  with  a  snarl  of 
rage,  like  a  jaguar  glowering  from  a  tree  in 
the  forest. 

"That  time  he  told  the  truth,"  said  Col 
menares. 

"  So  far  maybe  as  he  hath  told  anything," 
replied  Balboa,  enigmatically.  "My  faith! 
but  I've  a  mind  to  put  him  to  the  torture. 
If  it  be  but  two  days  to  Dobaybe,  then  sure 
ly  we  can  accomplish  it;  but  if  much  more, 
we  shall  be  obliged  to  return  for  provisions, 
no 


CONSPIRACY    OF   THE    CACIQUES 

Where  is  the  armorer?  Here,  man,  place 
this  savage  in  irons!" 

As  the  armorer  approached,  Balboa  waved 
his  hand  towards  the  Indian,  who,  probably 
divining  the  fate  in  store  for  him  should  he 
linger,  sprang  for  the  rail.  At  one  bound 
he  reached  the  bulwark,  at  another  he  leaped 
over  it  into  the  water  of  the  river,  where 
he  sank  like  a  stone  before  the  astonished 
witnesses  could  make  a  move  to  prevent 
him.  Instantly  there  was  a  commotion 
aboard  the  brigantine.  A  score  of  soldiers 
hastened  to  the  rail,  and  as  many  cross-bows 
were  made  ready  and  levelled  at  the  surface 
of  the  water.  If  the  head  of  the  savage  had 
appeared  above  it,  surely  it  would  have  been 
pierced  by  several  bolts  from  the  bows;  but 
it  did  not  emerge.  The  impatient  bowmen 
waited  long,  but  in  vain.  The  Indian  was 
seen  nevermore,  for  he  probably  swam  under 
water  to  the  thickets  on  the  farther  shore, 
and,  worming  his  way  through  the  vines  and 
undergrowth  of  the  forest,  secured  his  safety 
by  flight. 

"Maria  Santisima!"  exclaimed  Balboa. 
"Why  did  I  not  run  him  through  with  my 
sword?  He  was  a  spy — naught  else  was  he; 
and  all  that  he  told  was  a  lie!" 

8  III 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

Downcast  and  disgusted  were  the  soldiers 
then,  for  they  felt  that  they  and  their  com 
mander  had  been  outwitted,  and  by  a  naked 
savage.  "If,  then,"  they  reasoned  among 
themselves,  "we  can  be  so  easily  deceived 
by  an  emissary  of  Zemaco,  what  cannot  he 
do  to  us  when  involved  in  the  net  he  has 
spread  for  our  capture?"  They  were  igno 
rant  and  superstitious.  Having  heard  of  the 
goddess  that  reigned  in  the  mountains,  and 
having  experienced  her  might,  as  shown  in 
the  tempest  she  had,  without  doubt,  visited 
upon  them,  they  were  prone  to  ascribe  to 
her  the  possession  of  supernatural  powers, 
and  balked  at  the  prospect  of  invading  her 
territory.  If  the  truth  were  told,  Balboa 
himself  was  not  without  a  trace  of  that  same 
superstition,  and  he  could  understand  the 
feelings  of  his  men,  if  he  did  not,  indeed,  sym 
pathize  with  them.  When,  therefore,  at  the 
end  of  a  week  of  fruitless  quest,  wandering 
in  the  forest  and  seeking  in  vain  a  conflict 
with  the  fugitive  Zemaco,  he  found  himself 
back  at  the  point  of  departure  on  the  Rio 
Negro,  he  for  a  time  gave  up  the  hunt  and 
abandoned  his  search  for  the  golden  goddess 
and  temple. 

The   unsolved  mystery   of   the   idol   and 

112 


CONSPIRACY    OF    THE    CACIQUES 

temple  continued  to  vex  the  Spaniards  for 
many  a  year.  When  an  indomitable  soldier 
like  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa  found  himself 
frustrated  in  the  search  for  them,  few  others 
had  the  courage  to  take  it  up.  It  was  not 
like  Balboa  to  retire  and  acknowledge  him 
self  defeated,  and  it  was  much  against  his 
will  that  he  turned  his  back  upon  the  unseen 
Dobaybe  and  set  his  face  towards  Darien 
again.  He  did  not,  however,  abandon  the 
project  utterly,  and  gave  a  pledge  that  he 
would  sometime  return,  by  leaving  behind 
a  body  of  thirty  soldiers,  under  command  of 
Bartolome"  Hurtado,  who  were  to  hold  the 
country  in  subjection.  They  took  possession 
of  a  deserted  village  on  the  Rio  Negro,  and, 
while  Balboa  with  the  main  body  descended 
the  river  to  Darien,  ranged  through  the 
country  in  pursuit  of  fugitives. 

From  what  afterwards  transpired,  it  would 
seem  that  Cacique  Zemaco  had  been  playing 
a  game  of  deep  duplicity  with  his  more 
civilized  opponent,  and,  whether  he  held 
possession  of  the  golden  Dobaybe  or  not, 
had  some  sort  of  a  stronghold  in  the  moun 
tains  to  which  he  could  retreat  on  occasion, 
and  which  Balboa  had  not  been  able  to  reach. 
As  soon  as  the  latter 's  back  was  turned,  he 
"3 


VASCO   NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

descended  from  his  stronghold,  and  spread 
his  warriors  along  the  rivers,  retaking  the 
deserted  villages  and  collecting  their  inhab 
itants  together. 

When  Hurtado  and  his  little  band  were 
left  alone  in  the  wilderness^  Zemaco  perceived 
an  opportunity  for  revenge  upon  the  Span 
iards  ;  but  he  was  cautious  and  had  a  whole 
some  fear  of  their  weapons.  He  waited  un 
til  Hurtado  had  detached  more  than  half 
his  total  force,  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
their  prisoners  to  Darien,  and  then  launched 
his  bolts  of  war.  Hurtado 's  captives  were 
placed  in  a  large  boat  guarded  by  fifteen  or 
twenty  Spaniards,  most  of  whom  were  in 
valided  through  wounds  or  sickness,  and 
thus  scarcely  ten  sound  men  remained  be 
hind  in  the  Indian  country.  The  boat  de 
scended  the  Rio  Negro  very  slowly,  for  it 
was  heavily  laden  with  its  human  freight 
age,  and  late  one  afternoon,  when  between 
forest -covered  banks  that  closely  approached 
and  cast  a  gloom  upon  the  waters,  it  was 
attacked  by  Zemaco  and  his  warriors.  They 
were  in  four  canoes,  and  were  armed  with 
war-clubs  and  lances.  Shouting  their  war- 
cries,  they  surrounded  the  boat  containing 
the  Spaniards,  and  with  the  assistance  of 
114 


CONSPIRACY   OF   THE    CACIQUES 

the  prisoners  massacred  all  save  two.  These 
two  escaped  by  leaping  into  the  river  and 
clinging  to  the  trunk  of  a  great  tree  which 
was  floating  with  the  current.  They  hid 
themselves  in  the  branches,  and,  being  over 
looked  by  the  Indians,  finally  reached  the 
shore  and  returned  to  Hurtado  writh  their 
tidings  of  disaster.  The  commander  was  so 
disheartened  that  he  at  once  abandoned  his 
post  on  the  Rio  Negro  and  hastened  to 
Darien  with  all  speed.  It  is  surprising  that 
Zemaco  did  not  attack  him  when  on  the 
way,  as  he  had  an  overwhelming  force,  and 
his  recent  victory  had  inspired  him  with  con 
fidence  ;  but  as  it  afterwards  was  ascertained, 
he  was  then  in  secret  conference  with  the 
caciques  of  all  the  provinces,  four  in  num 
ber,  for  the  purpose  of  totally  exterminating 
the  Spaniards.  Hurtado  carried  the  tidings 
of  this  conspiracy  to  Darien,  having  received 
intimation  of  it  from  a  captive;  but  the  in 
habitants  considered  his  fears  of  an  uprising 
largely  imaginary,  incited  by  his  recent  dis 
aster,  and  made  no  preparations  for  receiv 
ing  the  enemy  if  he  should  appear. 

At  this  time  there  comes  into  view  once 
more  the  beautiful  Cacica,  who  had  been  left 
in  Darien  when  Balboa  went  on  his  expedi- 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

tion  up  the  Atrato  She  had  urged  him  to 
take  her  with  him,  saying  that  her  place 
was  by  her  lord  and  master's  side;  but  he 
had  refused,  because,  as  he  said,  space  on 
board  the  brigantine  was  limited,  and  there 
was  room  for  soldiers  only.  He  had  given 
his  house  into  her  charge  at  parting,  and 
when  he  returned  she  proudly  showed  him 
what  she  had  done  to  improve  its  condi 
tion,  receiving  his  praises  therefor  with  great 
delight.  But  rumors  soon  reached  Balboa 
that  during  his  absence  the  Cacica  had  re 
ceived  under  her  roof  a  young  warrior,  who 
had  come  and  gone  at  night — as  a  spy  might 
have  done,  said  the  sentinels  who  watched 
outside  the  walls  of  the  town.  These  ru 
mors  were  verified  by  reports  from  the  spies 
whom  Balboa  himself  had  left  to  watch  the 
Cacica  while  he  was  away.  He  ardently 
loved  her — of  that  there  could  be  no  doubt; 
but,  as  a  Spaniard,  he  was  naturally  sus 
picious. 

These  spies  were  certain  that  the  visit 
ing  Indian  was  a  warrior  of  Zemaco's  band, 
and  thought  he  might  be  a  relative  of  the 
Cacica,  or  a  former  lover  whom  Balboa  had 
supplanted.  They,  too,  sought  to  intercept 
him ;  but  the  wary  Indian  escaped  them  every 
116 


CONSPIRACY    OF    THE    CACIQUES 

time,  and  they  could  only  report  that  he 
had  been  there  and  undoubtedly  held  con 
ference  with  the  Cacica.  When  Balboa 
heard  these  reports  he  was  deeply  disturbed, 
for,  notwithstanding  his  suspicions,  he  wish 
ed  to  have  confidence  in  his  mistress,  and 
disliked  to  think  evil  of  her.  He  was  uncer 
tain  whether  he  had  better  keep  the  infor 
mation  to  himself,  and  meanwhile  watch  the 
girl  narrowly  for  signs  of  deceit,  or  openly 
accuse  her  of  treachery  to  his  trust.  He 
adopted  a  middle  course,  and  one  day,  while 
they  were  conversing  upon  the  events  of 
the  expedition,  artfully  contrived  to  involve 
her  in  the  confession  that  hardly  a  day  had 
passed  in  which  she  had  not  indirectly  heard 
from  him. 

"And  who  was  the  messenger,  my  love?" 
asked  Balboa,  calmly,  but  with  his  heart 
beating  furiously  and  his  eyes  flashing. 

"My  brother,  sometimes,  my  cousin,  and 
again  my  brother — for,  you  know,  I  have 
many  brothers,"  replied  the  Cacica,  artlessly. 

"Yes,  I  know,"  rejoined  Balboa.  "But 
why  should  they  come  to  you  so  frequently, 
and  always  at  night?" 

"  Because  I  wanted  tidings  of  you,  my 
lord;  and  for  that  they  could  not  come  too 
117 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

often!  At  night,  too,  because  they  could 
not  get  within  the  town  by  daytime.  For 
there  were  sentinels  and  spies,  my  lord. 
Did  you  not  know  there  were  spies?"  asked 
the  Cacica,  archly,  her  eyes  dancing  mis 
chievously. 

"I — I  knew  there  were  spies,"  answered 
Balboa,  hesitatingly.  Then,  suddenly  as 
suming  a  stern  and  wrathful  expression,  he 
grasped  the  girl's  wrists  and,  looking  straight 
into  her  eyes,  demanded:  "What  did  your 
people  tell  you  when  they  came  to  my 
house  in  the  night-time?  Did  they  say 
aught  of  the  cacique  Zemaco  and  of  the 
conspiracy  he  is  forming  against  me?  Tell 
me,  and  truly,  girl,  for  if  thou  liest  thou 
mayst  lose  thy  life!" 

"I  will  tell  you,"  answered  the  Cacica, 
slowly.  "  Not  because  you  threaten  me,  but 
for  the  love  I  bear  you.  My  life  is  yours, 
to  take  at  any  time."  She  returned  his 
gaze  fearlessly,  and  in  her  eyes  Balboa  could 
detect  no  trace  of  deceit  or  alarm. 

"I  am  a  cacique's  daughter,"  she  con 
tinued,  proudly,  "though  in  your  eyes  a 
savage  and  a  slave.  Your  life  and  the  lives 
of  your  friends  are  in  my  hands— until  I  tell 
you;  then  my  life  and  the  lives  of  my  people 
118 


CONSPIRACY    OF   THE    CACIQUES 

are  at  your  mercy.  Yet  I  will  tell  you,  be 
cause  you  are  still  my  lord,  and  I  have  left 
my  people  to  go  with  you  and  stay  within 
your  house. 

''Know,  then,  that  my  brothers  came  to 
warn  me  to  fly  with  them  and  hide  in  the 
mountains,  for  the  men  of  my  race  can  no 
longer  endure  the  atrocities  committed  by 
the  invaders,  and  are  resolved  to  fall  upon 
them  soon  by  sea  and  by  land.  In  the  town 
of  Tichiri  are  collected  one  hundred  canoes 
and  five  thousand  warriors,  and  the  prep 
arations  are  made  for  striking  a  blow  that 
shall  destroy  your  power  forever!" 


IX 

HOW   THE    CONSPIRACY    WAS   DEFEATED 
1512 

THE  story  told  by  the  Cacica  bore  the 
stamp  of  truth,  but  Balboa  was,  or  pre 
tended  to  be,  unconvinced,  and  induced  her 
to  send  for  the  brother  who  had  revealed  the 
plot,  that  he  might  question  him.  As  she 
hesitated,  he  said,  "  Since  he  desired  you  to 
go  with  him,  you  can  say  you  are  ready,  and 
he  will  return." 

"  Yes,  he  will  return.  But  how  will  he  be 
received?"  she  asked,  dubiously.  "I  would 
not  have  harm  come  to  him,  for  his  warning 
was  from  love  of  me,  my  lord." 

"  And  for  love  of  me  I  ask  you  to  send  for 
him,"  replied  Balboa,  evasively.  He  had 
released  the  Cacica 's  hands,  and  she  had 
fallen  into  a  hammock,  where  she  lay  list 
lessly,  with  a  look  of  distress  in  her  eyes 
and  a  great  fear  at  her  heart. 

She  could  not  understand  how  one  she 
120 


HOW   THE   CONSPIRACY  WAS    DEFEATED 

loved  would  willingly  cause  her  pain ;  but  she 
felt  that  Balboa  was  pressing  home  a  weap 
on  that  might  pierce  her  heart  and  end  her 
days  in  misery.  She  had  entangled  herself 
in  a  net  of  her  own  weaving,  however,  and 
there  was  but  one  course  to  pursue.  So  she 
sent  for  the  brother  who,  in  his  anxiety  to 
save  her  from  the  massacre  in  which  the 
vSpaniards  were  about  to  be  involved,  had 
given  the  warning.  He  was  one  of  Zemaco's 
warriors,  and  employed  as  a  scout.  Upon  re 
ceiving  a  message  from  his  sister  he  at  once 
hastened  to  her  side,  whence  he  was  torn 
by  emissaries  of  Balboa,  who  cast  him  into 
a  dungeon.  There  he  was  promptly  visited 
by  the  magistrates  of  Darien,  at  the  head 
of  whom  was  Balboa,  and  severely  questioned 
as  to  what  he  knew  of  the  plot.  He  denied 
all  knowledge  of  Zemaco's  movements,  and 
one  of  the  magistrates  cried  out:  "Then  put 
him  to  the  torture.  Bring  a  bowstring 
hither!" 

This  order  having  been  complied  with  by 
the  jailer,  he  then  said:  "Bind  it  about  his 
forehead,  and  twist  it  till  his  eyes  begin  to 
bulge!  Perchance  then  he  will  tell  what  he 
knows." 

This  was  done,  and  the  cruel  jailer  twisted 

121 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

the  bowstring  with  a  stick  until  the  Indian's 
eyes  seemed  about  to  burst  from  their  sock 
ets.  Unable  longer  to  endure  the  torture, 
he  cried,  in  agony,  "Oh,  release  me,  and  I 
will  indeed  tell  all!"  Then  he  fainted,  for 
he  was  but  a  youth,  and,  though  accounted 
as  a  warrior,  was  yet  of  slight  physique  and 
delicate.  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  who  was 
standing  by,  could  not  but  have  noted  his 
resemblance  to  the  Cacica,  whom  he  had 
often  sworn  he  loved ;  yet  he  made  no  effort 
to  release  him. 

The  unhappy  youth  related  what  he  had 
told  his  sister,  and  the  story  was  the  same 
that  she  had  told,  only  there  was  something 
added.  Gasping  for  breath,  and  with  tem 
ples  throbbing  from  agonizing  pain,  the  hap 
less  boy  said  that  Zemaco  had  long  before 
plotted  the  death  of  Balboa,  and  had  for 
this  purpose  posted  his  warriors  in  disguise 
among  the  Indian  laborers  in  the  fields. 
They  watched  for  weeks  an  opportunity  to 
take  the  commander  off  his  guard;  but, 
though  they  valued  not  their  lives  at  all, 
they  were  intimidated  by  the  horse  which 
he  rode  and  the  long  lance  he  carried,  and 
finally  gave  up  the  attempt  upon  his  life. 
This  failure  had  determined  Zemaco  to  form 

122 


HOW   THE    CONSPIRACY  WAS    DEFEATED 

the  conspiracy  with  the  other  caciques,  and 
to  this  scheme  he  was  devoting  all  his  en 
ergies. 

As  the  boy  proceeded  with  his  relation, 
and  detailed  the  means  by  which  the  plan 
against  Balboa's  life  had  been  frustrated,  it 
flashed  upon  that  worthy  that  his  going  to 
the  fields  every  day  fully  armed  and  mount 
ed  on  horseback  was  owing  to  the  Cacica's 
pleadings.  Otherwise  he  would  have  gone 
without  armor,  in  his  doublet  and  hose,  and 
on  foot.  Thus  he  would  certainly  have 
fallen  a  victim  to  the  Indian's  rage,  and 
thus — it  became  evident  even  to  his  per 
verted  sense — he  owed  his  life  to  the  sister 
of  that  frail  boy  before  him,  whom  he  had 
allowed  to  be  tortured.  Then  his  heart 
misgave  him  surely,  and,  awaking  from  the 
trance  into  which  his  evil  thoughts  had 
plunged  him,  he  exclaimed:  "Release  that 
youth.  Cast  off  his  bonds  and  bathe  his 
brow  where  the  cord  hath  wounded  it.  He 
hath  done  nothing,  and  I  did  not  mind  to 
torture  him  to  extremity;  only  to  elicit  the 
truth — and  that  we  have  done.  So  set  him 
free." 

The  magistrates  murmured  and  protested : 
"It  is  not  customary,  nor  is  it  safe,  to  set 
123 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

free  one  who  has  been  put  to  the  torture, 
lest,  in  revenge,  he  hold  murderous  plans 
against  us.  Let  us  now  finish  him,  with  the 
sword  or  with  the  garrote,  and  done  with  it." 

"Nay,  nay!"  exclaimed  Balboa,  excitedly. 
"I  am  governor,  though  you  are,  by  my 
grace,  the  magistrates.  I  take  this  youth 
under  my  protection,  and  woe  be  to  them 
who  dare  molest  him!" 

"As  your  excellency  commands,"  re 
torted  one  of  the  magistrates.  "He  cer 
tainly  hath  claims  upon  you,  if  what  rumor 
says  may  be  believed:  to  wit,  that  his  sister 
is  thy—" 

"That  for  thy  insolence,"  exclaimed  Bal 
boa,  stopping  the  objectionable  word  with 
a  blow  on  the  magistrate's  mouth.  "  Let  it 
be  known  that  this  youth  hath  my  protec 
tion,  and,"  he  added,  with  an  ominous 
frown,  "let  what  may  please  you  be  said 
about  it — behind  my  back ;  but  not  in  front 
of  me!"  With  that  he  strode  out  of  the 
dungeon,  leading  the  wondering  Indian  by 
the  hand.  And  thus,  bruised  and  disfigured, 
the  trembling  youth  was  taken  to  Balboa's 
house,  and  left  there  to  be  cared  for  by  the 
Indian  maiden. 

It  may  seem  to  have  been  the  refinement 
124 


HOW   THE   CONSPIRACY  WAS    DEFEATED 

of  cruelty  thus  to  force  upon  the  Cacica 
this  victim  of  the  Spaniards'  barbarity;  but 
in  the  eyes  of  Balboa  she  was  merely  a  sav 
age  whose  charms  had  ensnared  him  tem 
porarily.  Possessing  neither  delicacy  nor 
keen  moral  perception,  he  mistakenly  rea 
soned  that  the  Cacica  would  overlook  this 
wanton  outrage  upon  her  brother  and  for 
give  the  perpetrators  of  it.  She  was  his 
slave,  subject  to  his  every  whim;  but  still 
she  had  a  heart  and  a  conscience,  and  she 
was  capable  of  resentment.  Though  she  had 
so  carefully  concealed  her  feelings  that  he 
imagined  she  would  always  be  mild  and 
passive,  no  matter  what  occurred,  the  Cacica 
really  possessed  a  deep,  revengeful  nature. 

When  Balboa  and  her  brother  appeared 
before  her,  she  clutched  at  her  heart,  as  if 
to  still  its  beatings,  but  said  nothing,  though 
a  single  glance  told  her  what  had  occurred. 
She  led  her  brother  away,  to  a  hut  outside 
the  palm-thatched  structure  which  served 
Balboa  as  a  dwelling,  and  was  about  to  bathe 
his  bruised  forehead,  when  he  repulsed  her 
with  a  gesture  of  disgust. 

She  did  not  ask  why,  for  she  knew,  and 
he  did  not  waste  words  in  telling  her  that 
she  was  a  traitress,  and  was  solely  responsible 
I25 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

for  what  had  occurred  to  him.  In  silent 
dignity  he  gathered  up  his  bow  and  arrows, 
which  had  been  left  with  the  Cacica  when 
he  was  thrust  into  the  dungeon,  and  without 
one  word  of  farewell  stalked  off  into  the 
forest. 

Then  the  Cacica  knew  that  she  had  in 
curred  the  hatred  of  her  tribe,  as  well  as 
lost  the  respect  of  her  master,  by  revealing 
the  plot  of  Zemaco.  She  had  done  it  for 
love  of  Balboa,  as  she  had  assured  him ;  but 
now  that  she  realized  her  position,  as  an 
outcast  from  her  people,  and,  despised  by 
the  brother  who  had  risked  his  life  to  save 
her  own,  she  hated  her  master,  and  loathed 
him.  Thenceforth  she  lived  only  for  re 
venge;  but,  with  the  cunning  of  a  savage, 
she  concealed  her  real  feelings  from  Balboa, 
and  appeared  to  him  only  the  dutiful  slave. 
She  lived  silent  and  apart,  but  ever  nursing 
a  scheme  of  vengeance  which  in  due  time 
cost  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa  his  life. 

Through  the  treachery  to  her  people  of 
the  Cacica,  and  the  confession  elicited  by 
torture  from  her  unhappy  brother,  Balboa 
came  into  possession  of  all  the  facts  regard 
ing  the  purposed  insurrection  of  the  caciques. 
He  lost  no  time  in  acting  upon  this  informa- 
126 


HOW   THE   CONSPIRACY  WAS   DEFEATED 

tion,  but  promptly  summoned  his  officers 
in  council.  His  chief  reliance  was,  as  may 
have  been  divined  already,  the  stout-hearted 
Colmenares,  who  had  shared  with  him  the 
dangers  of  several  expeditions,  in  all  of 
which  he  had  borne  himself  with  courage 
and  resolution.  While  the  magistrates  were 
uncertain  what  course  should  be  pursued, 
some  advising  an  immediate  retreat  from  a 
place  so  fraught  with  danger  to  themselves, 
both  from  the  savages  and  from  the  climate, 
which  was  killing  off  the  settlers  by  scores, 
Colmenares  alone  gave  his  commander  the 
advice  he  liked.  Balboa  had  settled  in  his 
own  mind  what  he  should  do,  but  he  de 
sired  to  be  supported  by  a  certain  show  of 
authority,  conferred  by  his  coadjutors,  in 
order  to  have  a  loop-hole  for  escape  in  case 
the  adventure  should  prove  disastrous. 

"  I  can  conceive  of  no  other  course  than 
immediate  pursuit,"  said  the  gallant  Col 
menares.  "The  redskins  meditated  taking 
us  unawares  and  putting  us  to  death,  with 
out  a  possible  opportunity  for  escape.  Hence 
they  must  have  determined  upon  attacking 
us  both  by  sea  and  by  land.  In  sooth,  the 
great  gathering  of  canoes  at  the  town  of 
Tichiri  shows  that.  What,  then,  is  the 
9  127 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

proper  mode  of  attack  for  us  to  adopt  but 
their  own,  only  in  the  reverse?  That  is,  a 
body  of  our  troops  to  proceed  by  water  and 
another  by  land,  thus  taking  the  savages 
by  flank  and  cutting  off  all  chance  of  retreat. 
So  far  as  our  ability  goes  to  combat  them, 
you  will  of  course  agree  with  me  that  there 
is  no  great  risk.  And  this  I  say  with  due 
regard  for  truth." 

"Which  I  have  always  found  thee  to  ob 
serve,  and  also  to  weigh  carefully  the  things 
that  make  for  success  as  well  as  defeat," 
replied  Balboa.  "  In  short,  Rodrigo,  thou'rt 
a  careful  commander,  and  thy  scheme  was 
the  very  one  I  myself  should  propose;  but 
thou  shalt  have  the  credit  of  it.  Take, 
then,  Rodrigo,  sixty  of  our  men  and  em 
bark  them  in  canoes  for  Tichiri,  while  I, 
with  seventy,  will  make  a  wide  circuit  by 
land,  and  thus  we  will  fall  upon  the  savages 
by  front  and  by  rear.  Provision  the  boats 
for  a  few  days  only,  for  we  shall  in  all  prob 
ability  find  enough  to  eat  by  the  way,  and 
especially  when  we  shall  have  taken  the 
town  and  sacked  it  of  what  it  contains. 
There  are,  I  understand,  five  principal  ca 
ciques  in  the  league,  four  besides  the  arch- 
scoundrel  Zemaco,  and,  assembling  as  they 
128 


HOW   THE    CONSPIRACY  WAS   DEFEATED 

have  been  from  every  quarter  far  and  near, 
they  will  have  brought  with  them  of  sup 
plies  a  sufficient  store." 

To  the  blare  of  trumpet  and  roll  of  drum, 
the  entire  garrison  assembled  within  the 
stockade,  and  the  two  commanders  picked 
their  men  from  the  ranks.  Only  the  stout 
est  and  most  valiant  were  taken,  those  who 
had  been  tried  before  and  were  accustomed 
to  Indian  warfare;  but  nearly  all  desired  to 
go,  scenting  spoils  in  prospective  and  tiring 
of  inaction  at  Darien.  Some  could  not, 
through  being  stretched  on  beds  of  pain, 
afflicted  with  wounds  or  disease;  others 
could  not,  because  of  some  disability  of 
which  their  commander  was  cognizant;  for 
he  knew  his  little  garrison  to  the  last  man, 
and  was  never  at  a  loss  to  judge  its  strength 
or  weakness.  This  was  one  secret  of  his 
success,  another  being  his  generosity;  for 
he  never  withheld  from  any  soldier  his  share 
of  plunder,  and  was  the  last  to  think  of 
himself. 

"Oh  ho,"  he  laughed,  as  the  volunteers 
came  pressing  forward,  some  shaking  with 
ague,  some  limping  on  crutches,  and  all 
filled  with  enthusiasm.  "So  ye  all  desire  to 
go?  I'  faith,  but  I  wish  ye  all  could  do  so. 
129 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

But  go  back  to  your  posts,  my  good  men, 
all  that  can  manage  a  cross-bow  or  an  arque- 
buse,  and  there  keep  vigilant  watch,  for  who 
knows  when,  or  in  what  manner,  the  foe 
may  appear?  Rodrigo  and  I  will  go  forth, 
the  one  by  water  and  the  other  by  land; 
but  there  must  perforce  be  a  great  gap  of 
forest  between  us,  through  which  the  sav 
ages  may  come  by  stealth  and  fall  upon  the 
town.  So,  I  say,  keep  watch  by  night  and 
by  day;  and  inasmuch  as  all  are  engaged  in 
a  common  defence,  and  all  entitled  to  equal 
shares  in  the  spoils,  even  so  shall  it  be." 

Balboa  was  moved  thus  to  deliver  him 
self,  because  of  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold 
in  the  treasury,  remaining  undivided,  which 
his  enemies  declared  he  intended  to  seize 
for  himself  and  send  as  a  donative  to  the 
king.  For  this  reason  he  said,  "We  shall 
all  share  alike,  from  commander  down  to 
drummer-boy  and  trumpeter,  and  no  man 
shall  be  deprived  of  his  portion." 

Then  he  marched  off  at  the  head  of  his 
armored  band  of  braves,  followed  by  the 
acclaim  of  those  he  left  behind  to  guard 
the  town.  As  for  those  who  went  with  him : 
being  all  of  them  gallant  souls,  and  generous 
to  a  fault,  more  disposed  to  fight  for  treasure 
130 


HOW   THE   CONSPIRACY  WAS   DEFEATED 

than  to  quarrel  over  its  division  afterwards, 
they  acquiesced  without  a  murmur.  Col- 
menares  had  already  embarked  his  force  of 
sixty  men,  when  Balboa  set  off  and  lost  him 
self  in  the  forest  with  his  seventy,  so  that 
the  settlement  appeared  quite  deserted. 

The  canoes  of  Colmenares  were  paddled 
by  stalwart  Indians  taken  from  Careta's 
tribe,  who  were  ignorant  of  the  intended 
uprising,  but  could  not,  of  course,  be  un 
aware  that  the  expedition  was  proceeding 
against  some  of  their  people  with  hostile 
purpose.  But  they  asked  no  questions,  be 
ing  reasonably  certain  that  any  such  would 
be  answered  only  by  blows,  and  exerted 
their  strength  to  such  good  purpose  that 
by  nightfall  of  the  day  in  which  they  had 
embarked  the  Spaniards  reached  the  vicin 
ity  of  Tichiri.  It  was  probably  at  or  near 
a  place  now  indicated  on  the  map  as  "  Punta 
Escondida,"  or  Lost  Point,  and  may  have 
been  thus  named  because  of  its  vague  and 
misty  appearance  in  the  shades  of  evening- 
time. 

The  shore  seemed  formless,  and  the  forests 
that  came  down  to  the  water  stretched  away 
black  and  forbidding,  but  the  darkness  was 
pierced  by  numerous  points  of  light,  where 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

blazed  the  Indian  camp-fires,  and  the  "  tam 
tam-tarn"  of  the  drums  proclaimed  an  as 
semblage  for  the  purpose  of  war  or  confer 
ence.  Colmenares  waited  till  the  drums  had 
ceased  their  beating  and  the  camp-fires  had 
been  swallowed  up  by  the  darkness,  then 
the  canoes  were  guided  stealthily  to  the 
shore  and  the  soldiers  landed.  The  landing 
could  not  be  made  without  some  sound,  such 
as  the  clanging  of  armor  against  armor,  or 
the  striking  of  sword  or  lance  against  a  gun 
wale  ;  yet  the  savages  were  so  confident  that 
no  enemy  was  near  that  they  were  not  dis 
turbed,  and  slumbered  while  the  force  formed 
on  the  beach. 

Preceded  by  the  dogs  of  war,  a  pack  of 
three  having  been  brought  by  Colmenares 
for  this  very  purpose,  the  Spaniards  crept 
towards  the  camp,  extending  their  line  as 
they  approached  and  perceived  its  great 
proportions.  As  the  scent  of  the  quarry 
reached  their  nostrils,  the  dogs  could  no 
longer  be  restrained,  and  leaped  forward 
with  deep-mouthed  howls  into  the  midst  of 
the  slumbering  foe.  Instantly  arose  shrieks 
of  terror  and  pain  as  the  beasts  tore  the  in 
offensive  savages  to  pieces,  and  these  were 
followed  by  wild  tumult  when  the  reports 
132 


HOW   THE   CONSPIRACY  WAS   DEFEATED 

of  arquebuses  rose  above  all  other  sounds 
and  the  Spaniards  burst  from  their  conceal 
ment  .with  loud  shouts. 

The  terrified  Indians  knew  not  which  way 
to  turn,  and  huddled  together  in  a  mass, 
upon  the  outer  skirts  of  which  the  hounds 
tore  and  ravened  at  will,  while  the  cross-bows 
and  musketry  played  destructively.  Final 
ly,  perceiving  that  no  opposition  was  offered, 
or  likely  to  be,  by  the  terror-stricken  sav 
ages,  Colmenares  ordered  the  trumpeter  to 
sound  the  recall,  and  the  attendants  to  draw 
off  the  hounds ;  but  it  was  a  long  time  before 
the  detestable  beasts  could  be  made  to  quit 
their  prey. 


DISSENSIONS   IN   THE    COLONY 
1512 

THE  savages  surprised  by  Colmenares  in 
Tichiri  were  under  a  captain,  or  sub- 
chief,  whose  name  has  not  been  preserved, 
but  who  received  swift  punishment  at  the 
hands  of  his  own  people  for  the  crime  of  re 
bellion  against  Balboa.  As  soon  as  the  Span 
ish  commander  had  ascertained  in  which 
direction  he  was  to  look  for  the  captain,  he 
sent  a  small  body  of  men  in  search  of  him. 
One  of  his  own  followers  handed  Colmenares 
the  bow  and  spear  that  he  usually  carried, 
and,  having  presented  this  to  the  most 
sagacious  of  the  hounds  for  his  inspection, 
the  brute  sniffed  the  air  an  instant  then  set 
off  into  the  midst  of  the  crowd.  He  and  his 
two  companions  had  been  dragged  from 
their  victims  while  yet  their  blood-stained 
jaws  held  ghastly  shreds  and  fragments  of 
human  flesh,  and  it  was  with  his  ferocious 
i34 


DISSENSIONS    IN    THE    COLONY 

instincts  roused  to  the  highest  pitch  that 
the  hound  darted  through  the  throng  of 
Indians  and  leaped  upon  the  cowering 
chieftain. 

He  was  expecting  death,  and  had  calmly 
prepared  himself  to  meet  his  fate;  but  such 
a  terrible  apparition  as  this  he  was  unpre 
pared  for,  and  as  the  hound's  fangs  sank 
into  his  quivering  flesh  he  shrieked  in  agony 
of  pain  and  terror.  It  was  with  difficulty 
that  the  enraged  animal  was  induced  to  re 
lease  his  hold,  and  suffered  repeated  blows 
from  the  mailed  fists  of  his  attendants  be 
fore  he  would  do  so.  Then  the  mangled 
savage  was  conducted  before  Colmenares, 
who  had  cleared  a  space  in  the  centre  of  the 
camp  and  there  held  an  impromptu  court- 
martial  upon  the  leaders  of  the  insurrection. 
The  instigator  of  the  rebellion,  Zemaco,  had 
escaped,  but  four  of  the  sub-caciques,  in 
cluding  the  captain  of  the  band,  were  capt 
ured,  owing  to  the  swift  and  secret  move 
ments  of  the  Spaniards. 

With  Colmenares  acting  in  the  capacity  of 
judge,  the  proceedings  of  the  "court"  were 
confined  to  the  identification  of  the  victims 
as  leaders  and  men  of  influence  among  the 
Indians.  Their  guilt  was  assumed  from  the 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

positions  they  held,  and  as  soon  as  their 
identity  was  established  they  were  promptly 
sentenced:  the  captain  to  be  shot  to  death 
with  arrows  by  his  own  followers,  and  the 
caciques  to  be  hanged.  The  sentence  was 
carried  out  at  break  of  dawn  next  morning. 
Scarcely  had  the  sun  gilded  with  his  first 
rays  the  topmost  branches  of  the  forest  trees, 
before  the  caciques  were  led  out  to  meet 
their  doom.  A  broad  -  based  ceiba  -  tree,  or 
silk-cotton,  reared  its  huge  bulk  near  the 
centre  of  the  clearing,  and  up  its  buttressed 
trunk  a  pair  of  soldiers  swarmed  to  its  lower 
most  limb,  over  which  they  swung  ropes 
made  of  grass,  with  nooses  at  their  ends. 
These  nooses  were  then  slipped  over  the 
heads  of  the  caciques,  and  soon  they  were 
suspended  in  the  air,  gasping  their  lives 
away,  until  they  were  naught  but  contorted 
corpses,  upon  which  their  former  subjects 
gazed  in  speechless  horror. 

The  extent  to  which  the  Indians  had  been 
terrorized  by  the  Spaniards  was  more  fully 
shown  by  what  followed  when  the  captain 
was  brought  to  execution.  He  was  placed 
with  his  back  against  the  ceiba  -  tree,  his 
arms  and  legs  tightly  pinioned,  and  com 
pelled  to  face  his  slayers,  who  were  archers 
136 


DISSENSIONS    IN    THE    COLONY 

selected  from  his  body-guard.  He  faced 
them  dauntlessly,  and,  calling  upon  the  most 
skilful  archer  by  name,  directed  him  to  shoot 
at  his  heart  and  end  his  misery  without  un 
necessary  delay. 

"  I  blame  ye  not,"  he  said  to  his  men,  "  for 
ye  are  compelled,  I  know.  Moreover,  I  shall 
the  more  gladly  die,  knowing  that  your 
weapons  cause  my  death,  and  not  those  of 
the  foe.  Shoot  straight,  and  trouble  not 
thyself,"  he  said  to  the  foremost  archer, 
who,  as  he  was  about  to  bend  the  bow, 
craved  pardon  for  his  act.  The  bowstring 
twanged,  the  chief's  head  drooped,  and  it 
was  seen  that  the  arrow  had  pierced  his 
breast  up  to  the  feather.  As  the  body  fell 
forward  several  Indians  sprang  to  catch  it, 
and  there  was  some  confusion,  during  which 
it  was  perceived  that  the  savage  who  had 
slain  his  chief  was  placing  another  arrow 
on  the  string.  The  quick  eye  of  Colmenares 
caught  him  in  the  act,  and  fearing  the  shaft 
was  intended  for  himself — as  doubtless  it 
was — he  ordered  him  disarmed.  One  of  the 
soldiers  would  have  thrust  him  through  with 
a  lance,  but  the  commander  prevented  him 
from  doing  this,  perhaps  realizing  that  he 
had  committed  atrocities  enough,  and  had 


VASCO   NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

put  upon  this  poor  savage  more  than  weak 
human  nature  could  endure. 

In  the  midst  of  the  hubbub  that  ensued, 
there  sounded  the  roll  of  a  drum,  followed 
by  other  noises,  that  proclaimed  the  ap 
proach  of  an  armed  force  from  the  direction 
of  the  hills.  In  fact,  Balboa  and  his  men, 
who  had  been  detained  by  the  countless  ob 
structions  to  a  passage  through  a  virgin 
forest,  made  their  appearance  shortly,  and 
soon  the  two  commanders  met  and  em 
braced. 

"Ha,  Rodrigo,"  exclaimed  Balboa,  glanc 
ing  at  the  grewsome  objects  hanging  from 
the  limb  of  the  ceiba-tree,  "but  you  have 
forestalled  me,  son,  and  saved  me  trouble. 
I  had  feared  it  might  be  necessary  to  swing 
up  a  savage  or  two,  and  it  seems  you  have 
done  it  with  despatch.  Sorry  am  I  that  we 
were  detained;  but  such  is  the  fortune  of 
those  who  seek  to  penetrate  these  forests. 
All  the  day  and  the  night  we  have  struggled 
against  nature's  impediments  to  our  progress, 
and  on  my  soul,  Rodrigo,  we  are  worn  down 
and  famishing." 

"That  I  can  well  believe,"  answered  Col- 
menares.  "And  we  are  not  so  fresh  as  we 
might  be,  nor  have  we  had  aught  to  eat 
138 


DISSENSIONS    IN    THE    COLONY 

since  leaving  the  boats.  But,  if  the  camp- 
master  has  attended  to  his  duty,  there  should 
be  something,  by  this,  awaiting  us  in  shape 
of  a  breakfast.  Let  us  seek  him  and  see." 

"A  fine  cavalgada  [troop  or  herd]  of  cap 
tives  you  have,  Rodrigo,  and  they  should 
be  sufficiently  impressed  by  the  punishment 
of  their  chiefs  to  behave  well  in  the  future." 

"  Doubtless  they  will,"  replied  Colmenares, 
"  for  it  was  a  conspiracy  of  the  caciques,  and 
not  of  the  people  at  large.  These  are  spirit 
less  wretches,  most  of  them,  and  of  them 
selves  will  be  prone  to  keep  the  peace,  I 
trow." 

"  Still,  I  think  we  will  build  a  fort  here  in 
this  wood,  for  it  is  a  fine  site  for  one,  and 
the  country  at  large  is  productive.  Gold 
mines  there  are,  too,  back  in  the  hills,  and 
while  old  Zemaco  is  at  large  there  will  be 
no  peace  for  us.  Santa  Maria!  But  I  wish 
we  could  find  that  golden  temple  and  its 
idol.  Perchance  we  may,  with  a  strong 
fortress  here,  and  a  garrison  in  command 
of  a  good  man  like  thyself,  Rodrigo." 

Leaving  Colmenares  to  erect  a  fortress  on 
a  commanding  bluff  overlooking  the  gulf, 
and  eighty  soldiers  to  hold  the  Indians  in 
check,  Balboa,  with  fifty  of  his  own  men, 


VASCO   NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

returned  to  Darien  in  the  canoes.  He  ar 
rived  none  too  soon,  as  it  chanced,  for,  tak 
ing  advantage  of  his  absence,  some  seditious 
fellows  had  stirred  up  a  disturbance.  He 
had  left  in  command  that  Bartolome  Hur- 
tado,  who  had  been  driven  from  Zemaco's 
country  after  the  disastrous  ending  of  the 
Dobaybe  expedition.  He  was  a  favorite 
with  the  governor,  but  a  man  of  no  particu 
lar  force  (as  may  appear  from  his  having  fled 
the  country  he  was  left  to  defend),  and 
against  him  rose  the  most  unquiet  spirits 
of  the  colony,  led  by  one  Alonzo  Perez  de 
la  Rua. 

Hurtado  may  have  been  arrogant  when 
he  found  himself  invested  with  sole  author 
ity  in  the  settlement,  and  as  Alonzo  Perez 
was  a  cavalier  of  some  distinction  when  in 
Spain,  he  took  offence  at  the  upstart's  as 
sumptions  and  refused  to  obey  him.  Not 
content  with  maligning  Hurtado,  he  pro 
ceeded  to  declaim  against  Balboa  himself, 
denouncing  him  as  a  man  of  low  birth  whom 
circumstance  had  invested  with  a  brief  au 
thority,  and  who  was,  he  said,  a  creature  of 
their  own  creation.  "A  soldier  of  fortune," 
and  "  absconding  debtor  who  ought  to  be 
cooling  his  heels  in  jail,"  were  some  of  the 
140 


DISSENSIONS    IN    THE    COLONY 

milder  things  he  said  about  the  absent 
Balboa,  who,  as  soon  as  he  arrived  and 
learned  what  had  been  done,  promptly  ar 
rested  Alonzo  Perez  and  confined  him  in 
the  calaboose.1  As  the  testy  cavalier  had 
many  friends  in  the  colony,  a  party  was 
quickly  formed  of  considerable  strength, 
which  was  opposed  to  Balboa,  and  for  a 
time  a  collision  seemed  imminent  between 
the  rival  forces. 

Balboa  had  his  soldiers  at  his  back,  and 
doubtless  could  have  restrained  the  mu 
tineers  by  resorting  to  force;  but  his  pene 
trating  mind  looked  beyond  the  present, 
with  its  temporary  evils,  to  the  future  and 
its  golden  promises,  so  he  released  Alonzo 
Perez  merely  with  a  reprimand.  This  action 
for  a  time  appeased  the  factious  followers 
'of  Perez;  but  for  a  matter  of  hours  only, 
and  the  next  day  they  assembled  anew. 
Taking  advantage  of  Balboa's  absence  in 
the  fields,  whither  he  had  gone  to  superin 
tend  the  Indian  laborers,  they  seized  Hur- 
tado,  and  possessed  themselves  of  weapons, 
which  they  threatened  to  turn  against  the 
governor  himself.  Alonzo  Perez  was  again 

1  Calaboose,  from  Spanish  Calabozo,  a  dungeon  or 
prison. 

141 


VASCO    NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

in  command,  and  being  supported  in  his 
pretensions  by  a  lawyer,  one  Bachelor  Corral, 
he  demanded  that  Balboa  should  at  once 
deliver  up  for  division  among  the  colonists 
the  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold  then  in  the 
treasury. 

In  the  estimation  of  Vasco  Nunez  de  Bal 
boa,  this  hoard  of  gold  was  of  small  account, 
as  he  expected  and  intended  to  add  to  it 
at  least  ten  times  that  amount.  Whatever 
happened,  he  was  not  willing  to  risk  his 
life  in  defence  of  it,  and  learning  that 
the  mutineers  intended  to  throw  him  into 
prison,  provided  they  could  secure  his  per 
son,  he  hastily  withdrew  from  the  scene  of 
strife,  giving  out  that  he  was  going  hunting 
in  the  forest. 

"Friend  Hurtado,"  he  said  to  his  lieuten 
ant,  "  I  foresee  that  when  those  scoundrels 
get  possession  of  that  bone  of  contention, 
the  ten  thousand  castellanos  in  our  treasury, 
they  will  so  abuse  one  another  in  the  division 
of  it  that  the  sober-minded  members  of  our 
community  will  be  only  too  glad  to  recall 
me  to  restore  order.  Hence,  let  them  have 
it.  I  had  hoped  to  send  it  to  our  lord  the 
king — and  in  truth  I  yet  shall  do  so;  but 
let  them  first  have  the  fingering  of  it.  Mean- 
142 


DISSENSIONS    IN    THE    COLONY 

while,  friend  Bartholomew,  we  will  go  hunt 
ing,  you  and  I,  for  it  is  better,  methinks,  to 
slay  the  beasts  of  the  forest,  which  may  aid 
in  sustaining  us,  than  our  own  countrymen 
—which  we  shall  certainly  have  to  do  if  we 
remain." 

This  was  the  purport  of  a  conversation  the 
shrewd  Balboa  held  with  Hurtado  and  his 
immediate  followers,  and  his  wisdom  and 
foresight  were  soon  clearly  shown  by  the 
manner  in  which  his  scheme  worked  itself 
out.  Alonzo  Perez  and  his  rabble  seized 
the  treasury,  which  he  had  left  purposely 
unguarded,  and  with  great  hilarity  pro 
ceeded  to  share  among  themselves  the 
ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold.  The  result 
was  what  the  crafty  Balboa  had  foreseen, 
for  a  furious  dispute  broke  out  at  once, 
and  from  words  the  mutineers  came  to 
blows. 

There  were  still  many  adherents  of  Balboa 
in  the  community,  but  they  had  been  awed 
into  silence  by  the  rabble.  When  the  latter 
began  quarrelling  among  themselves,  how 
ever,  and  some  of  them  even  cried  out,  bold 
ly,  that  their  self -exiled  governor  had  always 
been  fair  in  the  apportionment  of  the  spoils, 
while  Perez  was  extremely  partial  to  him- 

10  143 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

self,  the  friends  of  Balboa  ventured  to  pro 
claim  their  own  opinions. 

"Who  won  this  gold,"  they  said,  "but 
our  own  Vasco  Nunez  by  his  enterprise  and 
valor?  Knowing  him  as  we  do,  we  say  he 
would  have  shared  it  with  the  brave  and 
deserving.  [Probably  meaning  themselves.] 
But  these  men  have  seized  upon  it  by  un 
fair  and  factious  means,  and  would  squander 
it  upon  their  minions.  Out  upon  them,  say 
we !  Let  us  seize  the  ringleaders  of  this  foul 
conspiracy  and  cast  them  into  prison.  Then 
we  will  send  for  our  gallant  governor  and 
reinstate  him  in  authority." 

As  most  of  the  soldiers  were  absent  with 
Balboa  and  Colmenares,  and  the  mutineers 
were  really  in  the  minority,  the  temperate 
members  of  the  community  easily  accom 
plished  their  purpose  by  seizing  Perez, 
Corral,  and  other  ringleaders  and  placing 
them  in  irons.  They  were  confined  in  the 
fortress,  where  they  had  leisure  to  reflect 
upon  their  intemperate  behavior,  while  a 
special  committee  of  reputable  citizens,  ap 
pointed  amid  loud  acclamations,  was  sent  in 
search  of  the  fugitive  governor. 

As  may  be  supposed,  they  did  not  have 
great  difficulty  in  finding  him,  for  he  had 
144 


DISSENSIONS   IN    THE    COL'ONY 

kept  in  touch  with  the  proceedings  through 
his  scouts,  and  had  not  penetrated  the  forest 
so  far  that  he  could  not  be  readily  recalled. 
He  was  discovered  in  camp,  surrounded  by 
his  faithful  soldiers,  and  the  whole  company 
seemed  in  high  spirits  over  their  success  in 
the  chase.  Wigwams  had  been  built  beneath 
the  wide-spreading  branches  of  umbrageous 
trees,  and  hammocks  swung  in  which  Balboa 
and  Hurtado  were  lazily  reclining — the  time 
being  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  when  the  dele 
gates  approached  them  with  the  proffer  of 
reinstatement. 

They  had  travelled  fast  and  far,  since 
early  morning,  and,  having  provided  no 
refreshments  for  the  journey,  were  faint, 
thirsty,  and  hungry.  They  looked  longingly 
at  the  rude  table  made  of  palm-leaves  spread 
upon  the  ground,  and  supplied  with  every 
kind  of  food  and  drink  known  to  the  colony. 
Indian  cooks  were  busy  at  a  barbecue  over 
a  camp-fire,  the  savory  odors  from  which  were 
simply  maddening  to  the  hungry  delegates. 
They  saw  other  Indians  engaged  in  tapping 
the  wild  palms  and  ladling  out  calabashes 
full  of  palm- wine,  while  others  still  were  pre 
paring  foaming  chicha  for  their  masters. 

Now,  the  throat  of  the  committee's  spokes- 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

man  was  dry,  and  his  tongue  also,  so  that 
when  he  essayed  to  speak  his  voice  entirely 
failed  him,  and  he  looked  helplessly  at  his 
companions.  Perceiving  the  condition  of 
the  delegates,  Balboa,  who  had  been  watch 
ing  them  narrowly  from  the  corner  of  his 
eye,  hastily  leaped  from  his  hammock  and 
exclaimed:  "Not  a  word,  Don  Pedro,  not  a 
word,  until  you  and  your  friends  have  slaked 
your  thirst  with  draughts  of  our  native  wine. 
Cruel  it  was  of  me  to  keep  you  standing 
there,  while  this  desayuno  [breakfast]  was 
being  prepared,  at  which  you  must  sit  down, 
though  it  be  so  humble  and  poor  of  quality. 
Nay,  I  insist,"  he  added,  as  the  committee 
hesitated.  "  I  know  not  your  mission,  cabal- 
leros;  but,  certes,  you  are  faint  and  hungry, 
perchance  thirsty  also,  so  sit  down,  and 
answer  not.  Hither,  mozos,  with  the  cala 
bashes  of  chicha  and  wine.  Give  my  com- 
paneros  to  drink,  without  delay." 

The  delegates  gratefully  accepted  the  food 
and  drink  so  liberally  prof  erred,  and  when 
they  were  refreshed  the  spokesman  began 
his  speech  again:  "Your  excellency,  we  have 
come  to  ask  you  to  return.  The  govern 
ment  goes  ill  without  you — in  truth,  there  is 
no  government  at  all." 
146 


DISSENSIONS    IN    THE    COLONY 

"  Ha  ?  But  what  of  Don  Alonzo  and  the 
Bachelor  Corral?" 

"They  are  in  the  calaboose,  your  excel 
lency,  and  in  irons." 

"So?  But  how  long  will  they  remain,  if 
I  return.  And  what  of  the  gold?" 

"They  will  remain  there  at  your  excel 
lency's  pleasure;  and  the  gold  shall  be  col 
lected  and  returned  to  the  treasury." 

"Bueno — good,  very  good.  But  how  long, 
think  ye,  gentlemen,  will  ye  continue  in  this 
chastened  frame  of  mind?  Not  a  month, 
not  a  week,  before  some  low-born  sons  of 
Belial  will  provoke  an  outbreak  against  the 
authority  of  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  and 
declare  he  hath  no  authority  to  govern.  If 
I  go,  gentlemen,  to  Darien,  then  it  must 
be  under  a  pledge  that  ye  all  will  unitedly 
stand  by  me,  and  sustain  me  in  every  effort 
for  the  public  weal.  What  say  ye?" 

"  We  will,  we  will,  your  excellency.  Only 
return!" 


XI 

BALBOA    STRENGTHENS    HIS    ARM 
1512 

BALBOA  stretched  himself  in  his  ham 
mock,  and  looking  at  the  delegates 
through  half -closed  eyes,  as  though  he  would 
resume  his  siesta,  rejoined:  "Gentlemen,  I 
do  not  wish  to  return!  But  here  is  Don 
Bartolome,  who  might  be  induced  to  act 
in  my  place.  Let  him  go  with  you  and 
assume  the  reins  of  government." 

The  delegates  looked  the  confusion  they 
felt,  but  said  nothing,  though  Hurtado 
hastily  exclaimed,  "No,  no;  I  care  not  to 
do  so." 

"Neither  care  I,"  said  Balboa.  "For 
what  do  I  get  by  returning  ?  Only  the  sem 
blance  of  a  shadow  of  authority.  All  the 
labors,  all  the  insults  attending  the  office; 
but  never  a  gracias,  senor  —  never  a  thank 
you,  sir,  get  I.  But  here — ah,  here  I  have 
my  liberty.  I  ask  no  man  whether  I  shall 
148 


BALBOA    STRENGTHENS    HIS    ARM 

come  or  shall  go.  Here  I  can  live  free  from 
restraint — I  and  my  merry  men.  What  sav, 
compafieros,  shall  we  return?" 

"Never,  no  never!"  came  in  a  chorus  from 
the  soldiery. 

"We  are  content  here,  are  we  not?  The 
forest  gives  us  sustenance — as  ye  see,  gen 
tlemen;  it  gives  us  shelter.  Now  that  I  am 
no  longer  compelled  to  hunt  the  red  savage, 
and  only  the  wild  beast  when  I  choose,  rest 
and  happiness  have  come  to  me." 

The  committee  consulted  together  for  the 
space  of  five  or  ten  minutes,  then  the  spokes 
man  said,  with  a  new  note  in  his  voice  and 
a  twinkle  of  triumph  in  his  eyes:  "Your 
excellency,  we  have  a  letter  for  you,  which 
I  herewith  deliver.  We  know  not  what  it 
contains,  for,  as  you  may  witness,  the  seal 
is  still  unbroken;  but  from  what  tidings  we 
have  received  from  some  high  in  authority 
at  Hispaniola,  we  divine  it  refers  to  the  great 
displeasure  of  his  majesty,  the  king,  as  re 
spects  your  doings  at  Darien.  Here  is  the 
letter,  your  excellency." 

Balboa  took  the  letter  without  remark, 
and  broke  the  seal.  As  he  read,  a  serious 
expression  came  over  his  face,  and  he  frown 
ed  severely,  seeing  which  the  delegates 
149 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

nudged  one  another  and  chuckled  inwardly. 
He  had  good  cause,  in  truth,  to  frown,  for 
the  letter  was  from  his  friend  at  court, 
Zamudio,  whom  he  had  sent  to  Spain  to 
plead  his  cause.  It  informed  him  of  the 
king's  indignation,  kindled  by  the  charges 
against  him  lodged  at  court  by  the  lawyer 
Enciso,  by  whom  he  was  accused  of  being  an 
intruder  and  usurper  at  Darien.  He  was 
held  responsible  for  all  the  disasters  to  the 
colony,  and  though  in  reality  its  founder, 
and  pacificator  of  the  savages,  he  was  to  be 
prosecuted  on  criminal  charges,  and  might 
consider  himself  fortunate  if  he  escaped  with 
his  life. 

Such  was  the  tenor  of  the  letter,  and  such 
the  purport  of  the  information  the  com 
mittee  had  received  before  they  left  the 
settlement.  This  being  so,  it  behooved 
Balboa  to  comport  himself  more  in  accord 
ance  with  his  changed  position  in  the  eyes 
of  the  committee,  and  after  he  had  finished 
reading  the  letter  he  said:  "This  is  an  im 
portant  communication,  gentlemen,  and  to 
answer  it  properly  I  shall  be  compelled  to 
return  to  Darien.  If,  then,  it  be  your  minds 
still  to  support  me,  we  will  soon  set  forth. 
But  only  on  that  understanding  shall  I  go," 
15° 


BALBOA    STRENGTHENS    HIS    ARM 

"We  shall  support  you,"  answered  the 
spokesman.  "But  let  it  be  understood, 
however,  that  our  support  is  given  only  as 
between  you  and  other  subjects  of  his  maj 
esty,  the  king.  Should  there  be  conflict  of 
authority,  as  between  you,  Vasco  Nunez  de 
Balboa,  and  his  majesty,  there  will  be  no 
question  which  direction  we  should  take." 

"Nor  would  I,  as  a  loyal  subject  of  his 
majesty,  ask  more  of  you,"  rejoined  Balboa, 
fervently.  "Soldiers,  companions,  we  will 
depart.  Prepare  for  the  march  to  town. 
Mozos,  bring  hither  the  wine  and  the  chicha. 
Gentlemen,  before  we  start  let  us  drink  to  the 
health  of  his  majesty.  Long  live  the  king!" 

Then  a  wild  scene  ensued.  Mingling  pro 
miscuously — cavaliers,  soldiers  of  the  ranks, 
and  civic  functionaries  —  the  company  all 
joined  in  drinking  the  health  of  their  sover 
eign.  They  seized  the  brimming  calabashes, 
and,  lifting  them  to  their  lips,  drank  deeply 
to  the  toast,  "Long  live  the  king." 

"Now  fill  again!"  shouted  one  of  the  dele 
gates.  "  Here's  to  the  health  of  his  majesty's 
most  loyal  subject,  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa. 
May  he  live  long  as  governor  of  Darien!" 

"  Viva!  viva!"  shouted  the  excited  soldiery. 
"Long  life  to  our  governor!" 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

"And  to  his  loyal  supporters,  these  our 
friends,"  added  Balboa,  grimly  smiling,  and 
waving  his  right  hand  towards  the  delegates. 
"May  they  remain  loyal — for  the  space  of 
a  week,  and  may  they  never  have  to  choose 
between  his  majesty  and  myself,  his  most 
devoted  subject  and  servant!" 

The  wine  was  soon  gone,  to  the  dregs,  and 
with  this  as  the  parting  toast  the  company 
broke  camp  and  set  out  for  town,  where  a 
new  surprise  awaited  Balboa,  in  the  arrival 
of  two  ships  from  Santo  Domingo.  They 
were  laden  with  provisions  and  brought  a 
reinforcement  of  two  hundred  soldiers  and 
settlers,  sent  by  the  admiral,  Don  Diego 
Columbus.  At  the  same  time  arrived,  by 
the  hands  of  the  fleet's  captain,  a  commis 
sion  for  Balboa  as  governor  and  captain- 
general.  This  had  come  from  Miguel  de 
Pasamonte,  the  royal  treasurer  of  Hispaniola, 
a  favorite  of  the  king,  sent  out  as  a  check 
upon  the  ambition  of  Don  Diego,  of  whom 
his  majesty  was  extremely  jealous. 

In  this  manner  did  fate  seem  to  play  at 
cross-purposes  with  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa, 
sending  him  tidings  by  one  messenger  of 
the  king's  disfavor,  and  by  another  of  his 
esteem;  though,  to  tell  the  truth,  Pasamonte 
152 


BALBOA    STRENGTHENS    HIS    ARM 

had  assumed  his  majesty's  approbation  of 
his  act,  without  right  to  do  so.  He  had 
received  from  Balboa  a  large  sum  of  gold, 
by  a  previous  remittance,  and  this  was  the 
manner  in  which  he  requited  the  favor. 

"  Gold  is  most  powerful,  of  a  truth,"  whis 
pered  Balboa  to  himself,  smiling  the  while, 
as  he  thought  of  the  title  it  had  won  from 
Miguel  de  Pasamonte.  "  If,  now,  I  could  get 
to  the  king  the  ten  thousand  golden  castel- 
lanos  which  I  have  recovered  from  those 
robbers,  Perez  and  Corral,  methinks  such  a 
donative  might  purchase  exemption  from 
the  penalties  which  his  majesty  seems  dis 
posed  to  place  upon  me  for  my  presumption 
in  setting  poor  old  Nicuesa  adrift  and  send 
ing  Enciso  back  to  Spain.  Ha,  I  have  it! 
I  will  myself  go  to  court  with  the  gold  in 
my  hand,  and  beard  the  royal  lion  in  his 
den.  Ten  thousand  pieces  I  have;  at  least 
ten  thousand  more  may  be  raked  and  scraped 
in  the  colony,  and,  moreover,  these  shall  be, 
to  the  king,  but  an  earnest  of  much  more 
to  come." 

Full  of  his  new  project,  Balboa  broached 

it  to  his  counsellors  without  delay,  but  to 

his  surprise  they  would  not  hear  of  it,  neither 

would  any  person  whatever  in  the  colony. 

153 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

"No,  no,"  they  all  exclaimed.  "You  shall 
not  leave  us,  Vasco  Nunez.  You  are  not 
alone  our  governor,  but  our  guide  and 
leader.  You,  only,  are  respected  by  the 
soldiers,  feared  by  the  savages,  and  we  can 
not  do  without  you.  Stay  here  with  us  you 
must ;  but  we  will  send  deputies  to  acquaint 
the  king  with  the  condition  of  the  colony, 
to  entreat  the  necessary  military  aid,  and 
to  plead  your  cause  as  though  it  were  your 
self  in  person,  Vasco  Nunez." 

They  proved  their  sincerity  by  electing 
two  deputies,  one  of  them  Juan  de  Caicedo, 
who  had  been  inspector  on  the  unfortunate 
Nicuesa  expedition,  and  the  other  Rodrigo 
de  Colmenares,  "  both  men  of  weight,  expert 
in  negotiation,  and  held  in  general  esteem." 
It  was  believed  that  they  would  satisfac 
torily  execute  their  commission,  and  that 
both  would  return,  since  Caicedo  left  a  wife 
behind  him  at  Darien,  and  Colmenares  had 
acquired  much  property,  including  a  farm 
which  he  tilled  with  Indian  labor,  when  not 
engaged  in  military  operations.  Balboa  glad 
ly  relieved  him  from  command  of  the  fort  at 
Tichiri,  and  rejoiced  that  he  could  send  one 
who  would  so  well  represent  his  cause  at 
court.  By  him  he  forwarded  letters  to  the 


BALBOA    STRENGTHENS    HIS    ARM 

king,  containing  most  extravagant  accounts 
of  the  country's  riches,  not  forgetting  to 
mention  the  famed  temple  of  Dobaybe,  filled 
with  gold,  and  the  tales  the  Indians  told  re 
specting  the  gathering  of  gold  in  nets.  He 
showed  this  precious  epistle  to  the  colonists, 
and  they  were  all  so  greatly  impressed  with 
it  that,  one  and  all,  they  contributed  gold 
to  the  extent  of  their  hoardings,  which, 
added  to  the  amount  sent  by  the  govern 
ment  to  the  king,  represented  a  goodly  sum. 

Balboa's  commissioners  left  Darien  del 
Antigua  about  the  end  of  October,  1512, 
and  arrived  in  Spain,  after  a  long  and  tem 
pestuous  voyage,  in  the  early  part  of  1513. 
Had  they  been  the  only  messengers  from 
that  isolated  colony  on  the  isthmus,  all 
might  have  gone  well  with  its  governor; 
but,  unfortunately  for  him,  as  we  know,  his 
enemies  had  preceded  them  and  spread 
broadcast  the  most  pernicious  tales  respect 
ing  the  doings  of  the  gallant  adventurer, 
Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa. 

Leaving  them  for  a  time,  while  the  ferment 
is  working  that  eventuated  in  the  downfall 
of  Balboa,  let  us  continue  in  his  company 
until  he  has  accomplished  that  great  achieve 
ment  due  to  his  heroic  efforts,  and  with 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

which  fame  has  inseparably  linked  his  name 
— the  discovery  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

By  the  information  conveyed  through  his 
friend  at  court,  Zamudio,  he  was  assured 
that  lawyer  Enciso  had  obtained  a  judgment 
against  him  in  which  he  was  condemned  for 
costs  and  damages  to  a  large  amount.  This 
was  not  all,  for  the  king  was  very  much  in 
censed,  and  had  issued  a  summons  for  him 
to  repair  to  Spain  without  delay,  there  to 
stand  trial  on  criminal  charges  respecting 
the  outrageous  treatment  of  Nicuesa,  which 
had  probably  caused  his  death. 

It  will  be  admitted  that  Vasco  Nunez  was 
then  in  a  terrible  predicament,  and  that 
there  seemed  no  way  out  of  it  save  by  a 
desperate  venture,  by  which  he  might  per 
haps  retrieve  his  fortunes,  win  fame,  and  re 
cover  the  lost  favor  of  the  king.  Fortunate 
ly  for  him,  the  news  conveyed  by  Zamudio 's 
letter  had  been  informal,  and  in  advance  of 
tidings  direct  from  the  throne,  so  there  was 
still  time  for  action.  When  the  authorita 
tive  summons  should  come,  it  would  be  too 
late ;  hence  he  could  not  await  the  reinforce 
ments  so  anxiously  expected  from  Spain, 
and  must  accomplish  whatever  he  did  be 
fore  their  arrival.  Thus  the  intrepid  Bal- 
156 


BALBOA    STRENGTHENS    HIS    ARM 

boa  was  thrown  directly  upon  his  own  re 
sources,  and  resolved  to  set  forth  without 
the  assistance  from  his  sovereign  which  he 
had  every  right  to  expect  in  an  undertaking 
so  vast  and  venturesome  as  his. 

Desultory  and  apparently  aimless  as  had 
been  his  doings  hitherto,  Balboa  had  never 
for  a  moment  lost  sight  of  that  grand  scheme 
he  had  formed  for  exploring  beyond  the 
mountains  and  revealing  the  existence,  if 
possible,  of  the  great  "southern  sea."  Ca 
cique  Comogre's  son  had  assured  him  that 
he  would  need  at  least  a  thousand  men  to 
assist  him,  and  acting  upon  this  sage  advice 
he  had  waited  for  reinforcements  before  at 
tempting  the  great  adventure.  But  now, 
if  he  waited  longer,  he  might  forever  lose  the 
opportunity,  for  with  the  reinforcements 
from  Spain  would  also  come  the  order  for 
his  arrest  and  transportation,  or  at  least  his 
dismissal  from  office.  What  he  did,  then, 
must  be  done  quickly  as  well  as  effectually, 
arid  he  lost  no  time  in  perfecting  his  plans. 

"  While  another  and  less  intrepid  spirit 
might  have  been  overwhelmed  by  the  pros 
pects  before  him,  Balboa  was  animated  to 
new  daring,  and  impelled  to  yet  higher  en 
terprises.  Should  he  permit  another  to  profit 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

by  his  toils,  to  discover  the  great  South  Sea, 
and  to  ravish  from  him  the  wealth  and  glory 
which  were  almost  within  his  grasp?  No, 
a  thousand  times  no!  He  had  won  the  in 
formation  at  risk  of  his  life ;  he  would  realize 
the  profit  of  it,  even  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 
At  least,  no  other  man  should  avail  of  it,  to 
cheat  him  of  his  dues.  He  did,  indeed,  still 
want  the  thousand  men  who  were  necessary 
to  the  projected  expedition;  but  his  enter 
prise,  his  experience,  and  his  constancy  im 
pelled  him  to  undertake  it,  even  without 
them.  He  would  thus,  by  so  signal  a  ser 
vice,  blot  out  the  original  crime  of  his  pri 
mary  usurpation,  and  if  death  should  over 
take  him  in  the  midst  of  his  exertions,  he 
would  die  laboring  for  the  prosperity  and 
glory  of  his  native  land,  and  freed  from  the 
persecutions  which  then  threatened  him."  * 

As  he  would  be  obliged  to  absent  himself 
from  the  colony  for  a  long  period,  he  made 
every  effort  to  weld  the  various  elements 
into  a  civic  body  that  should  work  harmo 
niously  and  resist  the  disintegrating  forces 
from  within  as  well  as  from  without.  His 
first  step  was  to  set  free  the  ringleaders  of 

1  Don  Manuel  Josef  Quintana,  Vidas  de  Espanoles 
Celebres. 

158 


BALBOA    STRENGTHENS    HIS    ARM 

the  late  insurrection,  which  done,  and  as 
sured  of  their  co-operation,  he  proceeded  to 
select  his  soldiers.  There  was  no  lack  of 
volunteers  when  it  became  noised  about 
that  Balboa  was  to  set  out  on  the  grand 
expedition  to  which  all  the  others  had  been 
in  a  sense  merely  preliminary,  and  he  was 
at  greater  trouble  to  reject  than  to  accept 
those  who  offered  for  the  service.  Desiring 
none  but  the  most  dauntless  spirits,  he  put 
every  man  applying  to  the  severest  tests. 
In  the  first  place,  they  must  be  capable  of 
enduring  fatigue  and  hunger;  in  the  second, 
they  must  be  unflinchingly  courageous,  for 
the  route  of  march  would  lie  through  regions 
occupied  by  hostile  Indians  who  were  said 
to  be  cannibals  and  gave  no  quarter. 

"  My  men,"  he  said  to  them  one  day,  when 
haranguing  them  for  the  last  time,  assembled 
on  parade,  "  I  shall  not  attempt  to  conceal 
from  you  the  perils  of  this  enterprise.  In 
truth,  they  could  not,  in  my  opinion,  be 
greater.  And,  while  I  shall  always  lead,  as 
hitherto,  asking  no  man  to  go  where  I  would 
not  venture  in  advance,  yet  you  may  not 
have  the  great  incentive  that  moves  me. 
So  far  as  spoils  and  captives  are  concerned, 
ye  shall  share  alike  with  me;  but  there  is  a 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

greater  motive  than  mere  spoils.  My  am 
bition,  as  ye  all  have  known  for  many 
months,  is  to  achieve  the  discovery  of  that 
great  ocean  said  to  lie  beyond  the  moun 
tains.  That  is — that  shall  be — the  object 
of  my  endeavors,  and  to  that  the  getting 
of  captives  and  the  plundering  of  natives 
shall  be  subordinate.  There  will  be,  doubt 
less,  vast  spoil,  for  the  country  we  are  to 
enter  has  the  reputation  of  being  rich  in 
gold  and  gems.  There  will  be  danger ;  there 
will  be  fatigues,  deaths,  wounds — but,  above 
all,  there  will  be  glory  —  the  glory  of  ac 
complishing  something  of  which  men  have 
dreamed  for  many  years,  but  have  never 
achieved ! ' ' 

"  We  will  do  it!  The  glory  shall  be  ours!" 
shouted  the  men,  vociferously.  "  Where  you 
lead,  Vasco  Nunez,  we  will  go!" 

They  were  probably  as  daring  and  reck 
less  adventurers  as  had  ever  been  gathered 
together  since  the  New  World  was  discov 
ered,  then  twenty  years  agone,  and  that  is 
saying  much.  There  were,  after  Balboa  had 
selected  the  most  resolute  and  vigorous  of 
the  colony,  one  hundred  and  ninety  in  the 
band,  all  fighting-men  of  the  most  desper 
ate  type.  They  were  armed  with  cross-bows 
1 60 


BALBOA    STRENGTHENS    HIS    ARM 

and  shields,  swords,  lances,  and  arquebuses, 
and  there  was  no  person  in  the  company, 
not  even  the  trumpeter  or  the  drummer- 
boy,  who  had  not  been  brought  up  in  the 
profession  of  arms.  Balboa  looked  them 
over  proudly,  and  he  also  inspected  their 
equipment  carefully,  for  they  were  to  ac 
company  him,  as  he  himself  believed,  not 
only  on  a  most  desperate  venture,  but  on  a 
veritable  forlorn  hope,  which,  if  it  failed, 
must  end  his  campaigning,  and  perhaps  his 
life. 

The  king  must  be  placated  and  his  favor 
recovered  by  no  lesser  gift  than  sovereignty 
over  a  sea  which  no  man  of  his  race  had  ever 
seen;  and  that  was  the  impelling  motive  of 
Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa  in  this  marvellous 
enterprise. 


XII 

THE    QUEST   FOR   THE    AUSTRAL   OCEAN 
1513 

A  BRIGANTINE  and  nine  large  canoes 
JT\  carried  the  troops  up  the  gulf  to  the 
shores  of  Chief  Careta's  territory,  where  the 
force  was  augmented  by  a  thousand  friendly 
Indians,  who  served  as  guides  and  carriers, 
on  the  march  from  the  coast  to  the  moun 
tains.  Finding  his  Indian  father-in-law  well 
disposed,  and  no  signs  of  disaffection,  the 
commander  left  here  nearly  half  his  men, 
to  guard  the  vessels  and  keep  open  a  way 
of  retreat,  should  it  be  necessary,  and  with 
one  hundred  picked  soldiers  began  his  peril 
ous  journey  through  the  wilderness. 

He  had  left  the  settlement  on  September 
ist,  and  on  the  8th  arrived  at  the  frontier 
of  Cacique  Ponca's  territory,  but  found  his 
village  abandoned  and  without  a  sign  of  life 
within  its  limits.  Ponca,  it  will  be  remem 
bered,  was  the  inveterate  enemy  of  Careta, 
162 


QUEST  FOR  THE  AUSTRAL  OCEAN 

and  as  he  knew  the  latter  was  in  league  with 
Balboa,  he  had  fled  with  all  his  people  to  the 
mountain  fastnesses.  He  was  extremely  re 
luctant  to  emerge  from  his  retreat,  but  was 
at  last  induced  to  do  so  by  repeated  offers 
of  friendship,  conveyed  by  the  peaceful  Ind 
ians,  and  when  he  finally  came  out  was  won 
by  Balboa's  kindness  and  induced  to  reveal 
to  him  all  he  knew. 

It  was  not  politic,  the  governor  thought, 
to  leave  behind  him  one  so  powerful  as  Ponca 
inclined  to  be  hostile,  and,  moreover,  he  alone 
could  furnish  guides  to  the  sea  that  lay  be 
yond  the  mountains.  These  he  freely  placed 
at  Balboa's  disposal,  at  the  same  time  not 
only  confirming  the  truth  of  the  story  told 
by  Comogre's  people,  as  to  the  existence  of 
a  great  sea,  or  ocean,  but  adding  that  the 
country  adjacent  was  rich  in  gold.  In  the 
excess  of  his  friendship,  he  presented  Balboa 
with  some  golden  ornaments — receiving  in 
exchange  glass  beads  and  other  trifles,  pre 
cious  in  the  sight  of  the  Indian — and  furnished 
the  army  with  provisions  for  the  journey. 
The  golden  ornaments,  Ponca  assured  Bal 
boa,  came  from  the  country  bordering  upon 
the  great  sea,  to  gain  a  glimpse  of  which  it 
would  only  be  necessary  to  ascend  a  high 
163 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

peak  rising  above  the  cordilleras,  and  visible 
from  the  village  they  then  occupied.  This 
peak  seemed  to  pierce  the  skies,  to  such  an 
altitude  it  rose  above  the  surrounding  hills, 
and  its  broad  shoulders  were  covered  with 
dense  forests,  so  that  it  appeared  like  an 
island  in  an  emerald  sea. 

With  the  departure  from  Chief  Ponca's 
country  the  real  labors  of  the  journey  began, 
for  there  was  no  open  trail  through  the 
mountain  wilderness,  white  men  never  hav 
ing  been  there  before.  The  Spaniards  were 
compelled  to  hew  their  way  with  sword  and 
axe,  scale  rugged  precipices,  and  ford  the 
torrents  of  numerous  rivers.  Friendly  Ind 
ians  carried  the  provisions,  and  the  heaviest 
pieces  of  armor,  but  even  though  lightly  clad 
and  burdened  only  with  their  weapons,  many 
of  the  soldiers  were  overcome  by  the  com 
bined  effects  of  fatigue  and  climate,  so  that 
in  the  end  less  than  seventy  remained  with 
their  commander,  the  others  having  fallen 
by  the  way.  Such  as  had  strength  enough 
returned  to  Coyba ;  but  there  were  some  who, 
unable  to  endure  the  journey,  sank  to  the 
ground  and  never  rose  again. 

Steadily  climbing,  at  the  rate  of  two 
or  three  leagues  a  day,  about  September 
164 


QUEST  FOR  THE  AUSTRAL  OCEAN 

2oth  the  little  band  of  soldiers  reached  a 
broad  plateau  covered  with  a  tangled  forest 
through  which  ran  deep  and  rapid  streams. 
This  was  the  country  of  a  warlike  cacique 
named  Quaraqua,  who,  discovering  this  small 
body  of  strangers  invading  his  province,  and 
never  having  had  experience  with  Europeans, 
prepared  to  give  them  a  warm  reception. 
He  was  at  war  with  Ponca,  and  that  was 
enough  to  provoke  his  ire,  so  he  took  the 
field  with  a  swarm  of  ferocious  savages,  and 
thought  to  frighten  the  Spaniards  by  a  dis 
play  of  force.  He  and  his  warriors  were 
armed  with  spears,  bows  and  arrows,  and 
two-handed  battle-axes  made  of  wood,  but 
almost  as  hard  and  as  heavy  as  iron.  They 
thought  themselves  invincible,  in  their  igno 
rance  of  warfare  as  conducted  by  the  Chris 
tian,  and,  yelling  furiously,  poured  upon  the 
Spaniards  like  a  mountain  torrent. 

Sturdy  Balboa  was  leading  the  advance, 
as  usual,  with  his  inseparable  companion 
Leoncito  by  his  side.  This  battle-scarred 
veteran  was  a  hound  of  scarce  more  than 
medium  size,  but  as  strong  and  fierce  as  a 
lion.  He  was  not  only  leonine  in  his  ma 
jestic  bearing,  but  in  color  also,  for  his  hue 
was  tawny,  like  that  of  the  king  of  beasts. 
165 


VASCO   NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

As  he  was  considered  by  the  soldiers  the 
equal  of  any  member  of  the  force,  he  drew 
pay  as  one  of  them,  and  during  his  various 
campaignings  earned  for  his  master  upward 
of  a  thousand  crowns.  The  Indians  of  the 
coast  country  knew  him  well  by  reputation, 
which  was  so  terrible  that  merely  the  sight 
of  him  would  put  a  thousand  to  rout.  But 
these  Indians  of  the  mountains  knew  nei 
ther  the  dog  nor  his  master  —  though  to 
their  sorrow  they  were  soon  to  make  their 
acquaintance. 

At  sight  of  the  warriors  emerging  in  ser 
ried  masses  from  the  forest  depths,  Leoncito 
growled  ominously,  and  as  they  approached 
within  bow -shot  he  sprang  to  meet  them  with 
long  leaps.  A  shower  of  arrows  was  sent  at 
him  and  he  was  struck  by  several;  but  his 
progress  was  not  stayed  until  he  met  a  war 
rior  in  the  oncoming  ranks,  whom  he  seized 
by  the  throat  and  bore  to  the  ground.  A 
moment  later  the  hapless  savage  was  a  man 
gled  corpse,  and  his  fate  was  shared  by  others 
in  swift  succession,  as  the  furious  beast  tore 
his  way  through  the  barbarian  phalanx, 
leaving  terror  and  destruction  in  his  wake. 
The  savages  were  surprised  and  alarmed  by 
the  advent  of  this  strange  animal  in  their 
166 


QUEST  FOR  THE  AUSTRAL  OCEAN 

midst,  but  they  were  absolutely  terror- 
stricken  when  the  cross-bows  and  arque 
buses  sent  forth  their  messengers  of  death. 
Many  were  slain  as  they  stood  petrified  with 
astonishment  and  terror;  for  this  was  their 
first  experience  with  fire-arms,  and  they 
could  not  conceive  whence  came  the  rolling 
thunder  of  the  explosions  and  the  sheeted 
lightning  of  the  flames.  After  the  first  dis 
charge  came  in  ringing  tones  Balboa's  battle- 
cry,  " Santiago,  and  at  them,  companeros!" 
With  bright  sword  drawn  and  gleaming  in 
the  air,  he  sprang  towards  the  foe,  followed 
close  by  his  men. 

Then  ensued  a  scene  of  carnage  the  like  of 
which  has  been  many  times  witnessed  in  the 
encounters  between  Spaniards  and  the  Indians 
of  America.  It  is  not  a  pleasant  scene  to 
dwell  upon,  so  let  it  suffice  to  state  that  this 
"aboriginal  Regulus,"  the  rash  though  gal 
lant  Quaraqua,  together  with  six  hundred 
of  his  warriors,  lay  dead  upon  the  field  after 
the  charge  was  over.  Some  had  been  pinned 
to  the  earth  with  lances,  some  cut  down  by 
swords,  and  others  torn  to  pieces  by  the 
blood-hounds. 

Having  thus  removed  the  obstacles  to  their 
advance,  the  Spaniards  entered  Quaraqua 's 
167 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

town,  which  they  quickly  spoiled  of  all  the 
gold  and  other  valuables  it  contained.  This 
booty  Balboa  shared  equitably  among  his 
followers,  reserving  for  himself  no  more  than 
any  other  got,  after  deducting  one-fifth  the 
total  amount  for  the  king  of  Spain.  By  his 
eminent  fairness  to  the  soldiers,  and  by  his 
courageous  bearing  on  every  occasion,  Bal 
boa  wins  the  admiration  of  all  who  become 
cognizant  of  his  exploits;  but  alas!  his  es 
cutcheon  is  stained  with  the  blood  of  many 
innocents.  Among  the  prisoners  taken  in 
the  town  were  fifty  or  sixty  male  Indians, 
dressed  in  robes  of  white  cotton  after  the 
manner  of  women,  and  these,  their  enemies 
said,  were  given  to  unnatural  crimes  and  fol 
lowers  of  the  devil.  Whether  they  were  or 
not,  the  Spaniards  did  not  pause  to  inquire, 
but  let  loose  their  blood-hounds,  who  tore 
them  limb  from  limb. 

The  village  which  Balboa  had  won  at  such 
cost  of  blood  and  suffering  was  situated  at 
the  very  foot  of  the  mountain  whence,  the 
Indians  told  him,  the  great  sea  could  be 
distinctly  seen.  He  had  brought  woe  and 
desolation  to  its  homes,  but  by  his  harsh 
measures  the  Indians  had  been  thoroughly 
cowed,  and,  after  sending  back  the  subjects 
168 


QUEST  FOR  THE  AUSTRAL  OCEAN 

of  Chief  Ponca,  he  selected  guides  and  car 
riers  from  the  surviving  Quaraquanos.  As 
his  men  were  exhausted  by  the  fatigue  of 
fighting,  and  in  need  of  all  their  energies  for 
what  was  to  come,  he  ordered  them  early  to 
rest,  after  they  had  partaken  of  a  bountiful 
supper  supplied  from  the  provisions  found 
in  the  village.  Some  were  disabled  by  their 
wounds,  and  these  were  to  remain  behind 
while  he,  with  the  strong  and  able-bodied, 
pushed  on  over  the  last  stage  of  their  event 
ful  journey. 

Having  made  every  preparation  for  the 
morrow,  after  posting  sentinels  about  the 
camp,  Balboa  retired  to  his  hammock,  but 
not  to  sleep.  The  events  of  the  day  had 
been  so  exciting  that  he  lay  awake  all  night, 
thinking,  not  of  what  had  occurred,  how 
ever:  not  of  the  lives  he  had  taken,  the 
crimes  he  had  committed;  but  of  what  he 
was  to  see  from  that  rock-ribbed  mountain- 
peak,  with  its  head  in  the  stars  above  the 
sombre  forest.  It  stood  out  black  against 
the  sky,  provokingly  near,  yet  aloof  and 
isolate — this  peak  which  he  had  sought  for 
many  months.  It  had  stood  there  for  un 
counted  centuries,  and  during  the  aeon  of 
its  existence  it  had  never  been  visited  by 
169 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

civilized  man.  He,  Balboa,  would  be  the  first 
to  scale  its  sides  and  stand  upon  its  summit, 
the  first  to  gaze  upon  the  view  it  might  reveal. 

Such  thoughts  as  these  kept  Vasco  Nunez 
de  Balboa  awake  while  his  soldiers  slept. 
So  absorbing  were  they  that  he  hardly  heard 
the  groans  of  the  wounded,  the  cries  of  an 
guish  from  the  poor  wretches  on  the  battle 
field.  Wives,  mothers,  and  children  of  the 
dead  warriors  were  groping  in  the  darkness 
for  their  loved  ones,  and  when  they  found  the 
objects  of  their  search  they  rent  the  air  with 
piteous  lamentations. 

At  last  the  dawn  dispelled  the  shades  of 
night.  Bounding  from  his  bed  in  the  ocean, 
the  morning  sun  sent  his  rays  athwart  the 
vast  expanse  of  forest  and  illumined  the 
peak  in  the  sky  so  that  it  shone  like  gold. 
It  appeared  to  Balboa  like  a  beacon-flame 
beckoning  him  onward,  upward,  and  with 
feverish  eagerness  he  spurred  his  men  to 
activity.  It  had  been  his  intention  to  start 
in  the  gray  dawn,  to  avail  of  the  morning 
coolness  and  freshness;  but  his  soldiers  were 
stiff  and  tired,  and  moved  slowly,  so  that  it 
was  within  two  hours  of  noon  when  they 
emerged  from  the  forest  and  saw  the  great 
peak  standing  stark  before  them. 
170 


DISCOVERY    OF    THE    PACIFIC 


QUEST  FOR  THE  AUSTRAL  OCEAN 

"Stay  ye  here,"  said  Balboa  to  his  men, 
"while  I  ascend  yon  mountain-top."  Leav 
ing  them  huddled  together  at  the  dividing- 
line  between  the  rank  growth  of  the  forest 
and  the  sparse  vegetation  of  the  higher  alti 
tude,  he  pushed  onward  alone.  His  heart 
beat  high  with  expectation  as  he  clambered 
over  rocks  that  had  been  smoothed  and 
polished  by  centuries  of  storm  and  finally 
reached  the  summit.  There  before  him  lay 
the  view  he  had  so  long  hoped  to  behold:  a 
wilderness  of  forest,  gemmed  with  sparkling 
streams,  and  bounded  by  the  watery  horizon. 
There  lay  the  sea,  or  ocean,  widely  extending 
along  the  sky-line,  vast,  seemingly  boundless, 
glittering  like  a  diamond  beneath  the  sun. 

Thrilled  by  the  sight,  the  conqueror  stood 
for  a  moment  spellbound,  then  sank  upon  his 
knees  and,  extending  his  arms  seaward,  gave 
thanks  to  the  Almighty  for  the  great  privi 
lege  which  had  been  vouchsafed  him,  as  the 
first  European  to  behold  the  southern  sea. 
Rising  to  his  feet,  he  waved  his  hands,  and 
shouted  to  his  men,  "  Come  hither,  and  gaze 
upon  that  glorious  ocean  which  we  have  so 
long  and  so  much  desired  to  see!"  They 
flocked  tumultuously  over  the  rocky  peak, 
and  after  them  the  Indians,  who  were  ex- 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

tremely  surprised  at  this  outburst  of  joy  and 
wonder  over  a  spectacle  with  which  they 
and  their  fathers  had  been  familiar  for  many, 
many  years. 

After  his  excited  companions  had  gathered 
around  him,  Balboa  said:  "Let  us  now  give 
thanks  to  God,  who  hath  granted  us  this 
great  honor  and  privilege.  For  we  behold 
before  us,  friends,  the  object  of  all  our  de 
sires  and  the  reward  of  all  our  labors.  Be 
fore  you  roll  the  waves  of  the  sea  which  was 
announced  to  us  by  Comogre's  son,  and 
which,  no  doubt,  encloses  the  vast  riches  of 
which  we  have  heard.  We  are  the  first  to 
gaze  upon  it  and  shall  be  the  first  to  reach 
its  shores.  To  us  belong  their  treasures, 
and  ours  alone  shall  be  the  glory  of  reducing 
these  immense  dominions  to  subjection  in 
the  name  of  our  king,  and  of  causing  to  be 
shed  upon  them  the  light  of  the  only  true 
religion.  Follow  me,  then,  faithful  as  hith 
erto,  and,  I  promise  you,  the  world  shall  not 
behold  your  equals  in  wealth  and  glory!" 

The  companions  of  Balboa,  then  reduced 
to  a  little  company  of  sixty-seven,  received 
his  words  with  acclamation,  and  all  embraced 
him,  while  the  chaplain  of  the  expedition, 
one  Andres  de  Vara,  chanted  in  solemn  tones 


QUEST  FOR  THE  AUSTRAL  OCEAN 

the  beautiful  anthem  beginning :  "  Te  Deum 
laudamus  —  Thee,  O  God,  we  thank."  A 
great  tree,  which  had  been  brought  from 
the  forest  for  the  purpose,  was  shaped  into 
a  cross  and  raised  on  the  spot  whence  Bal 
boa  first  beheld  the  ocean.  Around  this  was 
piled  a  mound  of  stones,  to  keep  it  in  po 
sition,  and  then  the  company  knelt  in  rev 
erence  before  the  holy  symbol,  while  the 
chaplain  offered  renewed  thanks  for  the  in 
estimable  privilege  that  had  been  accorded 
them. 

Wrought  upon  by  the  sublimity  of  the 
scene,  and  filled  with  joy  at  the  prospect  of 
boundless  wealth  and  conquest  opened  to 
them  by  the  illimitable  ocean  spread  out 
at  their  feet,  the  Spaniards  rose  to  the  dig 
nity  of  the  occasion,  and  showed  themselves 
capable  of  elevated  sentiment.  Their  leader 
had  imbued  them  with  his  own  enthusiasm, 
had  invited  them  to  share  in  the  honors  and 
glory  of  his  great  discovery,  and  they  de 
clared  they  would  follow  him  to  the  shores 
of  the  great  sea,  and  beyond.  After  signing 
a  testimonial  to  the  effect  that  they  took 
possession  of  the  sea  and  its  shores  in  the 
name  of  the  Castilian  sovereign,  which  was 
duly  attested  by  a  notary,  Balboa  and  his 
173 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

companions  descended  the  sierras  towards 
the  south. 

The  date  of  this  memorable  discovery,  as 
witnessed  by  the  instrument  the  Spaniards 
signed,  was  September  25,  1513.  They  had 
been  more  than  three  weeks  in  accomplish 
ing  the  journey  from  the  north  coast  of  the 
isthmus  to  the  mountain-top,  after  fighting 
their  way  through  difficulties  and  dangers 
which  men  of  iron  alone  could  have  con 
fronted  and  overcome. 

Sometimes,  says  their  chronicler,  they  had 
to  penetrate  through  thick  and  entangled 
woods,  sometimes  to  cross  lakes,  where  some 
were  lost  in  the  depths;  they  had  rugged 
hills  and  mountains  to  climb,  precipices  to 
scale,  and  deep  and  yawning  gulfs  to  cross, 
upon  frail  and  trembling  hammock-bridges 
made  of  forest  vines.  From  time  to  time 
they  had  to  make  their  way  through  oppos 
ing  bands  of  Indians,  who,  though  easily  con 
quered,  were  always  to  be  dreaded,  and  upon 
whom  they  depended  for  their  precarious 
supplies  of  provisions.  Altogether,  the  toils, 
anxieties,  and  dangers  of  these  Spaniards  led 
by  Balboa  formed  an  aggregate  sufficient  to 
break  down  the  strength  and  depress  the 
mind  of  any,  indeed,  but  "  men  of  iron  alone/* 
i74 


XIII 

ON    THE    SHORES    OF    THE    PACIFIC 
1513 

AMONG  the  conquistador es  of  America  there 
is  no  more  heroic  figure  than  Vasco 
Nunez  de  Balboa,  who  looms  large  in  his 
tory,  second  only  to  Columbus,  perhaps,  in 
the  magnitude  of  his  discovery.  The  ad 
miral  himself  had  sought  persistently  for  a 
passage  into  the  ocean,  which  he  firmly  be 
lieved  existed  beyond  the  continent  by 
which  he  was  confronted  in  1502;  but  it 
remained  for  Balboa  to  reveal  that  ocean 
seven  years  after  the  great  navigator  had 
passed  away.'  Balboa  is  also  the  most  pict 
uresque  figure  in  the  conquest  of  America 
by  the  Spaniards,  and  especially  when,  at 
the  culmination  of  his  efforts,  he  stood  with 
sword  in  hand,  and  armor-clad,  "silent, 
upon  a  peak  in  Darien."1 

1  By  a  curious  lapsus  in   Keat's  otherwise  perfect 
poem,  On  First  Looking  into  Chapman's  Homer,  Cortes, 
"  175 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

He  was  then  at  the  zenith  of  his  power, 
as  well  as  in  possession  of  the  health  and 
strength  of  vigorous  manhood,  for  he  was 
but  thirty-eight  years  of  age  at  the  time 
he  made  his  great  discovery.  For  a  few 
months  only  he  was  to  retain  that  power 
undisputed;  then  was  to  ensue  a  period  of 
depression  in  his  fortunes,  followed  by  his 
early  death.  So  long  as  he  remained  at  a 
distance  from  Antigua  del  Darien,  devoting 
himself  to  original  research  in  the  wilderness 
and  the  subjugation  of  the  natives,  his  suc 
cess  was  unparalleled;  but  whenever  he  re 
turned  to  the  settlement  disaster  seemed  to 
welcome  him. 

Leading  his  enthusiastic  soldiers  down  the 
southern  slopes  of  the  mountain,  Balboa  en 
tered  the  province  of  a  cacique  named  Chi- 
apes,  who,  unaware  of  what  had  happened 

conqueror  of  Mexico,  is  substituted  for  Balboa,  discov 
erer  of  the  Pacific — 

"  Then  felt  I  like  some  watcher  of  the  skies, 
When  a  new  planet  swims  into  his  ken, 

Or  like  stout  Cortez  when  with  eagle  eyes 
He  star'd  at  the  Pacific — and  all  his  men 

Look'd  at  each  other  with  a  wild  surmise — 
Silent,  upon  a  peak  in  Darien." 

Cortes  was  never  at  Darien,  nor  nearer  to  it  than 
Honduras,  or  Santo  Domingo. 

176 


ON    THE    SHORES    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

to  his  northern  neighbor,  Quaraqua,  like 
him  offered  battle  to  the  strangers.  They 
were  few  in  number,  wayworn  and  hungry- 
looking,  so  he  set  upon  them  with  his  war 
riors — and  his  experience  was  like  that  of 
all  others  who  had  opposed  Balboa,  who 
poured  a  volley  from  his  arquebuses  into 
the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  and  then,  in  the 
confusion  that  followed,  let  loose  the  dogs 
of  war. 

Stunned  by  the  reports  of  the  guns,  con 
fused  by  smoke  and  flames,  and  overcome 
with  astonishment,  many  of  the  Indians 
fell  to  the  ground  and  became  easy  prey  to 
the  blood-hounds,  while  many  others  were 
made  captive.  To  these  latter  the  Quara- 
quano  guides  made  such  representations  of 
the  Spaniards'  power  to  slay  by  means  of 
thunder  and  lightning,  and  of  their  mag 
nanimity  to  the  vanquished,  that  Cacique 
Chiapes  issued  from  his  hiding-place  and  ap 
peared  before  Balboa  with  gifts  of  wrought 
gold  amounting  to  five  hundred  pounds  in 
weight.  In  return  he  received  the  proffered 
friendship  of  the  commander,  and  trifles  like 
hawk-bells,  beads,  and  looking-glasses,  with 
which  he  was  greatly  pleased  and  contented. 

Their  friendship  having  been  established 
177 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

on  a  secure  basis,  Balboa  sent  back  his 
guides  and  carriers  to  Quaraqua  with  orders 
for  all  his  soldiers  there,  who  were  able,  to 
join  him  without  delay.  While  he  remained 
in  the  cacique's  village,  three  scouting- par 
ties  of  twelve  men  each  were  sent  out  to 
explore  the  country  between  the  mountains 
and  the  southern  coast.  These  several  par 
ties  were  commanded  by  Juan  de  Escary, 
Alonzo  Martin,  and  Francisco  Pizarro,  the 
last-named  —  then  a  lieutenant  or  captain 
under  Balboa — to  become,  in  the  wisdom  of 
Providence,  the  conqueror  of  Peru.  The 
scouting-party  under  Alonzo  Martin  was  the 
first  to  reach  the  sea -side,  and,  finding  on  the 
beach  an  Indian  canoe,  the  captain  stepped 
into  it  and  was  pushed  by  his  men  out  into 
the  water,  so  that  he  could  rightfully  claim 
to  be  the  first  European  to  embark  upon  the 
southern  ocean. 

After  his  scouts  had  returned  and  the 
men  from  Quaraqua  had  rejoined  him,  Bal 
boa  himself  set  out  for  the  coast,  with  less 
than  thirty  men,  but  all  well  armed,  and 
accompanied  by  Cacique  Chiapes  and  some 
warriors.  They  reached  the  sea- side  on  the 
last  day  of  September,  1513,  at  evening, 
and  as  the  tide  was  out  sat  down  to  await 


ON    THE    SHORES    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

its  return.  The  tides  on  the  Caribbean 
coast  of  the  isthmus  rise  and  fall  but  little, 
while  on  the  Pacific  coast  they  are  swift 
and  turbulent.  Soon  the  flats  in  front  of 
Balboa  were  covered  with  foaming  waters 
rushing  in  like  war-horses,  and,  leaving  his 
shady  seat  beneath  the  forest  trees  above 
the  beach,  he  advanced  to  meet  the  curl 
ing  waves.  He  was  in  complete  armor, 
with  a  shining  helmet  on  his  head,  breast 
plate,  greaves,  and  gauntlets.  He  must  have 
seemed  a  brave  and  gallant  figure  indeed 
to  Chiapes  and  his  warriors  as,  drawing  his 
sword  and  taking  in  his  left  hand  a  banner 
upon  which  was  painted  the  arms  of  Castile 
and  Aragon,  he  waded  into  the  tide.  The 
fierce  waves  assailed  him  violently,  dashing 
first  against  his  knees,  then  against  waist 
and  breast ;  but  he  withstood  them  valiantly, 
and,  waving  both  banner  and  sword,  shouted 
in  a  loud  voice:  "Long  live  the  high  and 
mighty  sovereigns  of  Castile !  Thus  in 
their  names  do  I  take  possession  of  these 
seas  and  regions;  and  if  any  other  prince, 
whether  Christian  or  infidel,  pretends  any 
right  to  them,  I  am  ready  and  resolved  to 
oppose  him,  and  to  assert  the  just  claims  of 
my  sovereigns." 

179 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

"Long  live  the  sovereigns  of  Spain!" 
shouted  the  band  on  shore.  "We  will  de 
fend  these  their  new  possessions,  even  to 
the  death,  and  against  all  the  potentates  of 
the  world.  Viva!  Viva!"  Returning  to 
shore,  Vasco  Nunez  drew  a  dagger  and  with 
it  carved  a  cross  on  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  say 
ing:  "In  this  sign  we  shall  conquer  the 
heathen,  and  the  blessings  of  our  religion 
will  we  give  them,  in  exchange  for  their  bar 
barous  practices.  At  the  point  of  the  sword 
will  we  compel  them.  Now  taste  ye  the 
waters  of  this  sea,  and  by  its  being  salt  shall 
ye  know  that  they  are  of  the  ocean.  They 
are  salt,  like  the  seas  of  the  north;  and  the 
waters  are  vast,  like  the  seas  of  the  north; 
but  from  them  they  are  separated  by  inter 
vening  mountains,  as  ye  know,  and  can 
swear  that  they  pertain  to  the  great  Sea  of 
the  South,  which  has  been  the  object  of  long 
search,  and  at  last  is  found  and  taken  pos 
session  of  for  our  dread  sovereigns."  Saying 
this,  he  caused  the  notary  of  the  expedition, 
Andres  de  Valderrabano,  to  confirm  all  that 
had  been  done  and  said  in  writing,  to  which 
all  present  subscribed  their  names. 

The  spot  where  these  historic  incidents 
took  place  was  a  secluded  nook  in  the  great 
1 80 


ON    THE    SHORES    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

and  tortuous  bay  of  San  Miguel,  which  deep 
ly  indents  the  southern  coast  of  Darien,  and 
lies  southwest  from  the  harbor  of  Careta, 
in  a  straight  line  about  sixty  miles  distant. 
Both  names  still  adorn  modern  maps  of  the 
isthmus,  and  indicate  approximately  the 
terminal  points  of  Balboa's  great  journey 
from  the  north  coast  to  the  south,  in  the 
year  1513. 

Cacique  Chiapes  and  his  men  looked  on  in 
wonder  while  their  new  allies  performed  the 
strange  ceremonials,  remaining  passive,  but 
evidently  not  approving  what  they  did  not 
understand.  When,  however,  a  few  days 
later,  Balboa  demanded  of  the  cacique  that 
he  produce  canoes  in  which  he  might  em 
bark  for  some  distant  islands,  the  latter  pro 
tested  that  the  time  was  bad  for  ventures 
on  the  sea.  It  was  then  the  month  of 
October,  and  that  month,  with  November 
and  December,  comprised  the  season  of 
storms,  in  which  the  winds  were  strong  and 
variable,  the  seas  at  any  moment  liable  to 
rise  suddenly.  But  Balboa  was  persistent. 
He  cared  not  for  the  storms.  "  My  God  will 
protect  me,"  he  said.  "  For  am  I  not  fight 
ing  the  good  fight  and  converting  the  infidels 
to  the  true  faith?  Go  get  the  canoes. " 
181 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

Cacique  Chiapes  shook  his  head  and  said, 
"Perhaps  your  God  may  be  stronger  than 
my  god ;  but  no  god  that  the  Indians  serve 
can  protect  us  from  the  waves  at  this  season 
of  the  year." 

"That  is  because  the  god  you  worship  is 
not  the  true  God,  whom  we  reverently  serve," 
answered  Balboa.  "He  hath  protected  us, 
'mid  dangers  many,  and  will  continue  to 
do  so." 

But  Chiapes  was  unconvinced,  and  as 
chief  of  an  inland  tribe,  unacquainted  with 
navigation,  he  hesitated  to  embark.  He 
compromised,  however,  by  guiding  the  Span 
iards  to  the  littoral  province  of  one  Cuquera, 
whose  subjects  were  fishermen  and  owned  a 
great  number  of  canoes.  Cuquera  confirmed 
the  statement  of  Chiapes,  that  the  season 
was  unpropitious  for  a  venture  at  sea,  but 
at  sight  of  some  pearls  the  chief  displayed, 
which,  he  said,  had  been  obtained  on  the 
islands  off-shore,  Balboa  was  more  than  ever 
determined  to  make  the  voyage.  Overcom 
ing  the  objections  of  the  caciques,  he  crowded 
sixty  of  his  men  into  nine  canoes,  and,  ac 
companied  by  the  faithful  Chiapes,  embarked 
upon  the  bosom  of  the  gulf.  Hardly,  how 
ever,  had  the  canoes  reached  open  water, 
182 


ON    THE    SHORES    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

when  they  were  assailed  by  a  frightful  tem 
pest.  "Deafening  was  the  tumult  of  the 
infuriated  winds,  which  strewed  the  earth 
with  the  frail  materials  of  the  Indian  huts. 
The  rivers,  swollen  by  the  rains,  overflowed 
their  banks,  tearing  away  in  their  violent 
course  rocks  and  trees ;  and  the  tempestuous 
sea,  roaring  horribly  among  the  rocky  isl 
ands  and  reefs  with  which  the  gulf  is  filled, 
broke  its  waves  against  them,  menacing  with 
inevitable  shipwreck  those  audacious  mor 
tals  who  had  invaded  this  watery  realm." 

The  intrepid  spirit  of  Balboa  had  caused 
him  to  mock  these  dangers  when  on  land; 
but  soon  he  had  good  cause  to  repent  his 
rash  impulse,  and,  yielding  to  the  importuni 
ties  of  the  Indians,  sought  shelter  on  an  islet. 
It  appeared  to  be  high  and  dry  as  the  com 
pany  landed  there  in  the  evening,  but  during 
the  night  the  rising  tide  gained  upon  them 
until  finally  they  were  waist-deep  in  water. 
At  or  near  midnight  the  wind  went  down 
with  the  tide,  and  at  dawn  next  morning  the 
unfortunate  mariners  sought  their  canoes, 
only  to  find  them  partially  wrecked  and  all 
the  provisions  they  had  contained  washed 
away.  They  spent  part  of  the  day  in  calk 
ing  the  open  seams  with  grass  and  the  bark 

183 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

of  trees,  and  in  the  afternoon  embarked  in 
the  crazy  craft  and  sought  the  shore. 

After  hours  of  exposure  to  the  tropic  sun, 
they  landed  near  nightfall  at  the  upper  end 
of  the  gulf,  in  the  province  of  a  cacique 
named  Tumaco.  The  Spaniards,  like  the 
Indians,  were  weak  and  famishing,  having 
labored  all  day  without  either  food  or  drink ; 
but  no  sooner  had  they  made  land  in  safety 
than  the  indomitable  Balboa  set  out  in 
search  of  the  Indian  town.  It  was  at  a  lit 
tle  distance  from  the  shore,  and  was  not 
reached  until  midnight.  The  inhabitants 
had  been  informed  of  their  coming  and  made 
a  stout  defence;  but  were  soon  routed  by 
the  Spaniards  and  driven  into  the  forest  at 
the  point  of  the  sword. 

Groping  within  the  bohios,  or  Indian  huts, 
the  victors  found  an  abundant  supply  of 
provisions,  with  which  they  appeased  their 
raging  appetites,  and  also  a  large  number  of 
beautiful  pearls,  besides  a  quantity  of  gold. 
As  some  of  the  pearls  were  contained  in  shells 
freshly  taken  from  the  water,  Balboa  con 
cluded  that  the  seat  of  the  pearl  fishery  was 
not  far  distant,  and  was  very  anxious  to 
obtain  possession  of  the  cacique,  believing 
that  he  could  inform  him  in  the  'matter. 
184 


ON    THE    SHORES    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

Having  captured  a  son  of  Tumaco,  he  loaded 
him  with  gifts,  such  as  a  shirt  made  in  Castile, 
and  other  trifles  valued  by  the  savages,  and 
sent  him  in  search  of  his  father.  The  chief 
had  sought  refuge  in  a  wild  den  among  the 
rocks,  deep  in  the  forest;  but  he  was  very 
much  impressed  by  the  beautiful  presents 
brought  by  his  son,  and  consented  to  emerge 
from  his  retreat.  When  he  appeared  before 
Balboa  he  had  with  him  six  hundred  pieces 
of  gold,  and  pearls  to  the  number  of  two 
hundred  and  forty.  The  gold  was  wrought 
into  ornaments,  and  the  pearls,  though  most 
of  them  large  and  perfect  in  shape,  had  been 
injured  by  fire,  with  which  the  Indians  had 
opened  the  shells. 

All  this  treasure  Tumaco  presented  to 
Balboa,  and  when  he  saw  with  what  joy  it 
was  received,  and  understood  that  the  pearls 
were  especially  appreciated,  he  sent  a  party 
of  his  divers  to  search  for  more.  Thirty 
naked  Indians,  accustomed  all  their  lives  to 
dive  for  pearls,  went  down  the  coast  in  a 
canoe,  accompanied  by  six  Spaniards  as 
witnesses ;  but  the  sea  was  so  rough  that  they 
dared  not  fish  in  deep  water,  where  the  large 
pearl-oysters  lay.  The  storm,  however,  had 
caused  a  great  number  of  oysters  to  be  wash- 

185 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

ed  ashore,  and  there  they  collected  more 
than  ninety  ounces  of  small  though  perfect 
pearls,  which  were  freely  given  to  the  Span 
iards.  The  best  of  these,  with  specimens  of 
the  oysters  from  which  they  were  taken, 
were  set  apart  by  the  conscientious  Balboa, 
as  an  acceptable  gift  to  his  sovereign. 

More  precious  than  pearls,  however  high 
ly  they  were  valued  by  the  explorer,  was  cer 
tain  information  conveyed  to  Balboa  by 
Tumaco,  confirming  the  rumors  that  had 
reached  him  in  the  interior,  respecting  a  vast 
country  to  the  southward,  which  abounded 
in  gold  and  gems.  This  was  Peru,  subse 
quently  to  be  subjugated  by  Francisco 
Pizarro,  then  a  humble  follower  of  Balboa, 
and  with  him  on  this  occasion.  In  order  to 
impress  the  Spaniards  with  the  high  state 
of  that  country's  civilization,  Tumaco  de 
scribed  as  well  as  he  could  the  beasts  of 
burden  used  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  dis 
tant  empire.  He  moulded  in  clay,  it  is  said, 
a  figure  of  the  animal  known  as  the  llama, 
which  the  Spaniards,  as  they  had  never  seen 
or  heard  of  it  before,  supposed  might  be  a 
deer  or  a  tapir — the  latter  being  the  largest 
animal  they  had  found  in  South  America. 

But,  great  and  glowing  as  were  Balboa's 
186 


ON    THE    SHORES    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

hopes  respecting  that  wonderful  country  to 
the  southward,  he  was  obliged  to  confess 
himself  unable  to  explore  it  at  that  season 
and  with  the  small  force  at  his  command. 
He  made  an  experimental  voyage  along  the 
coast  for  several  leagues,  cautiously  feeling 
his  way  through  an  inundated  forest  on  the 
border  of  the  gulf,  but  dared  not  venture 
out  at  sea,  where  the  wild  winds  roared  and 
the  waves  beat  incessantly  upon  the  shores 
of  distant  islands.  Pointing  to  one  of  these 
islands  about  five  or  six  leagues  distant, 
Tumaco  told  Balboa  that  its  waters  pro 
duced  the  largest  and  finest  of  pearls,  such 
as  the  Spaniards  had  never  seen,  for  size  and 
beauty;  but  he  could  not  take  him  to  it  then, 
much  as  he  desired  to  please  him.  The  two 
chiefs,  the  Indian  and  the  Spaniard,  were 
then  in  the  former's  war-canoe,  hewn  from 
the  trunk  of  an  immense  forest  tree,  and 
paddled  by  a  crew  of  sixty  Indians.  The 
paddlers  themselves  were  stark  naked,  but 
the  heads  of  the  oars  they  used  were  inlaid 
with  pearls.  Of  this  circumstance,  says  a 
contemporary  chronicler,  "  Balboa  caused  a 
record  to  be  made  by  the  notary,  for  the  sake, 
no  doubt,  of  establishing  the  credit  of  what 
he  himself  should  write  to  the  sovereign 
187 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

(no  less  needy  and  covetous  than  the  dis 
coverers  themselves)  concerning  the  opulence 
of  the  new  country." 

Several  weeks  were  consumed  by  Balboa 
in  exploring  the  country  adjacent  to  San 
Miguel,  and  on  a  day  in  the  first  week  of 
November,  Tumaco  took  him  and  his  com 
panions  in  his  war-canoe  to  the  uppermost 
end  of  the  great  bay.  With  them  also  was 
the  still  faithful  Chiapes,  who  considered 
himself  in  some  sort  as  Balboa's  sponsor, 
and  who,  when  the  time  for  parting  came, 
is  said  to  have  shed  tears,  so  deeply  was  he 
affected.  He  gladly  assumed  the  care  of  the 
Spanish  sick  and  wounded,  and  took  them 
with  him  to  his  village  in  the  mountains, 
while  Balboa,  with  his  able-bodied  veterans, 
essayed  to  return  by  another  route  across 
the  isthmus.  The  territory  at  the  head  of 
the  bay  was  controlled  by  Cacique  Techoan, 
who  vied  with  the  other  chiefs  in  bestowing 
gold  and  pearls  upon  the  Spaniards,  and 
who  furnished  them  with  burden -bearers  and 
provisions  for  the  journey. 

That  Techoan  was  not  entirely  disinter 
ested  was  shown  conclusively  by  his  guiding 
them  to  the  abode  of  a  cacique  whom  he 
represented  as  a  rich  and  powerful  lord,  but 
188 


ON    THE    SHORES    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

an  insufferable  tyrant.  This  tyrant  was 
known  as  the  "Croesus  of  the  mountains" 
(or  its  equivalent  in  the  Indian  language), 
and,  as  may  be  believed  by  those  acquainted 
with  the  character  of  Balboa,  the  latter  was 
not  unwilling  to  seek  him  out  and  make  his 
acquaintance.  But  Ponca  (for  that  was  his 
name)  was  not  anxious  to  meet  the  Span 
iards,  especially  when  he  learned  that  they 
were  coming  in  company  with  his  deadly 
enemy,  and  fled  farther  into  the  mountains, 
taking  with  him,  it  was  thought,  the  bulk  of 
his  treasure.  He  left  behind,  however,  some 
three  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  which  the  Ind 
ian  allies  discovered  and  took  to  Balboa,  who 
used  every  exertion  to  entrap  him  and  force 
him  to  disclose  the  hiding-place  of  his  vast 
wealth.  He  caught  him  at  last;  but  when 
questioned  as  to  his  gold,  Ponca  answered 
that  all  he  had  the  Spaniards  already  pos 
sessed,  and  that  it  had  been  left  him  by  his 
ancestors.  More  than  this  he  would  not 
disclose,  even  when  the  cruel  Spaniards  put 
him  to  the  torture,  and,  provoked  by  his 
obstinacy,  in  the  heat  of  their  passion,  gave 
him  and  three  companions  to  the  dogs,  who 
finished  the  revolting  business  by  tearing 
them  to  pieces. 

189 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

In  extenuation  of  their  cruelty  the  Span 
iards  afterwards  described  Ponca  as  a  mon 
ster  of  depravity,  with  deformed  limbs,  a 
frightful  countenance,  and  a  sanguinary 
nature.  The  guilt  of  his  death,  said  one  of 
their  countrymen,  "rests  more  with  the 
Indians  than  the  Castilians;  yet  they  were 
not  the  judges  of  Ponca!"  They  assumed, 
however,  that  any  Indian  who  refused  to 
reveal  the  hiding-place  of  treasures  which 
they  desired  to  possess  was  deserving  of 
death,  believing,  as  they  did,  that  there  was 
nothing  of  greater  worth  in  the  world  than 
gold,  or  its  equivalent  in  material  wealth. 
Thus  cheaply  did  they  hold  the  lives  of  the 
Indians,  reckoning  their  immortal  souls  as 
of  less  worth  than  perishable  gold.  In  this 
respect  Balboa  was  no  better  than  his  com 
rades,  and  in  truth  set  them  an  example 
which  they  were  not  slow  in  following. 

The  senseless  avarice  of  the  Spaniards 
wrought  its  own  retribution  on  this  journey, 
for  they  had  laden  their  carriers  with  gold 
to  a  greater  extent  than  with  provisions, 
and  this  was  done  notwithstanding  their 
route  lay  through  a  sterile  wilderness  yield 
ing  no  supplies.  The  consequence  was  that 
they  soon  began  to  feel  the  effects  of  famine, 
190 


ON    THE    SHORES    OF    THE    PACIFIC 

some  of  them,  as  well  as  many  Indian  car 
riers,  sinking  by  the  wayside  to  rise  no  more. 
Rumors  preceding  the  Spaniards  informed 
the  natives  that  they  desired,  above  all  other 
things,  gold  and  like  treasure,  and  thus  gold 
was  invariably  brought  as  a  peace  offering, 
to  the  neglect  of  provisions,  so  that  the 
soldiers  (says  the  historian  who  perused 
Balboa's  journal)  "yet  wanted  nourishment 
and  pursued  their  melancholy  way,  cursing 
the  riches  which  burdened  but  could  not  feed 
them." 

Still  they  clung  desperately  to  those 
riches,  stained  as  they  were  with  the  blood 
of  innocent  Indians,  and  when  Balboa  learn 
ed  that  a  short  distance  off  the  main  route 
he  was  pursuing  there  lived  a  powerful  ca 
cique  named  Tubanama,  who  had,  accord 
ing  to  report,  vast  stores  of  gold,  he  made 
a  forced  march  and  by  a  night  attack  fell 
upon  and  surprised  him,  with  all  his  family. 
When  threatened  that  unless  he  gave  up 
his  gold  he  should  be  tortured  and  thrown 
to  the  dogs,  or  bound  hand  and  foot  and 
cast  into  the  river,  he  approached  Balboa 
and,  pointing  to  his  naked  sword,  exclaimed: 
"Who  that  hath  not  lost  his  senses  would 
think  of  prevailing  against  that  weapon, 

13  191 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

which  can  cleave  a  man  at  a  stroke?  Who 
would  not  rather  caress  than  oppose  such 
men  as  thou?  Kill  me  not,  I  implore  thee, 
and  I  will  bring  thee  all  the  gold  I  possess, 
and  as  much  more  as  can  be  procured!" 


XIV 

A    RIVAL   IN    THE    FIELD 
15*4 

CACIQUE  TUBANAMA  was  warlike  as 
\^s  well  as  wealthy,  but  he  had  been  com 
pletely  cowed  by  Balboa's  display  of  force 
and  weapons,  so  that  he  readily  complied 
with  the  Spaniard's  demands.  Sending  his 
men  into  the  forest,  he  remained  as  a  host 
age  with  his  captor,  while  they  ransacked 
his  storehouses  for  gold.  So  successful  were 
they  that  within  three  days  gold  was  brought 
in  to  the  amount  of  six  thousand  crowns; 
but  even  then  Balboa  professed  himself  dis 
satisfied  and  declared  there  must  be  much 
more  concealed  in  the  province.  As  Tu- 
banama"  positively  declared  to  the  contrary, 
he  finally  gave  the  cacique  his  freedom,  but 
when  he  departed  for  the  coast  took  with 
him,  it  is  said,  his  eighty  wives  and  eldest 
son. 

Great    quantities    of    virgin    gold    having 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

been  discovered  in  the  mountain  streams, 
he  resolved  to  return,  and  found  a  settle 
ment  in  that  region,  but  the  condition  of 
his  command  at  that  time  forced  him  to 
resume  his  homeward  march  without  de 
lay.  Most  of  his  men  were  now  so  exhaust 
ed  that,  like  Balboa  himself,  who  was  ill  of 
a  fever,  they  had  to  be  borne  in  hammocks 
on  the  Indians'  shoulders.  In  this  manner 
marching,  and  in  such  sorry  state  that  by 
a  concerted  effort  the  caciques  might  have 
destroyed  them  utterly,  the  Spaniards  ap 
proached  the  province  of  Comogre,  where 
they  found  themselves  among  friends  and 
on  familiar  ground.  The  old  chief  was  dead, 
they  were  told,  but  in  his  place  ruled  the 
young  cacique  who  had  first  informed  Bal 
boa  of  the  South  Sea  and  Peru.  He  received 
him  hospitably,  as  before,  and  made  him  a 
present  of  all  the  gold  he  and  his  subjects 
had  collected  since  they  parted,  in  return  for 
which  Balboa  gave  him  a  shirt  and  a  soldier's 
cloak.  As  he  had  embraced  Christianity, 
young  Comogre  considered  himself  vastly 
superior  to  the  pagans  about  him,  and  when 
clad  in  the  garments  of  the  Christians,  he 
assumed  the  airs  of  a  king  and  compelled 
his  naked  subjects  to  do  him  homage. 
194 


A    RIVAL    IN    TH-E    FIELD 

At  this,  or  a  point  previously  reached  on 
their  journey,  the  Spaniards  were  rejoined 
by  the  wounded  and  invalids  who  had  been 
left  with  Chiapes.  Though  but  a  handful 
of  soldiers,  they  had  travelled  in  safety 
through  the  forests  and  defiles  of  the  moun 
tains,  such  was  the  terror  with  which  the 
deeds  of  Balboa  had  inspired  the  natives. 
One  of  the  provinces  they  had  passed 
through  was  governed  by  a  minor  cacique 
named  Bonouvama,  who  not  only  detained, 
but  entertained  them  most  hospitably  with 
everything  his  territory  afforded.  When 
they  left  his  town  he  placed  himself  at  their 
head,  and  on  arriving  in  the  presence  of  Bal 
boa,  said  to  him :  "  Lo,  we  are  here !  Receive, 
O  valiant  man,  thy  companions  safe  and  un 
injured,  even  as  when  they  entered  my  bohio. 
May  He  who  gives  us  the  fruits  of  the  earth, 
and  who  creates  the  thunder  and  the  light 
ning,  preserve  thee  and  them,  my  lord!" 

Balboa  was  deeply  affected  by  the  ca 
cique's  speech  and  meritorious  actions.  He 
graciously  replied  that  they  should  arrange 
a  perpetual  friendship  and  alliance,  as  he 
hoped  to  do  with  all  the  caciques  of  Darien, 
and  after  bestowing  upon  him  some  beads, 
toys,  and  a  Spanish  shirt,  sent  him  back  to 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

his  province  greatly  rejoicing.  Although, 
as  we  have  too  often  seen,  he  acted  with 
great  cruelty  towards  some  of  the  caciques, 
to  those  who  approached  him  in  a  pacific 
spirit  he  was  ever  friendly  and  benign.  That 
he  grew  to  understand  the  nature  of  the 
Indians  is  shown  by  his  success  in  convert 
ing  them  from  enemies  to  friends,  and  by 
the  alliances  which  he  cemented  with  more 
than  a  score  of  native  caciques  in  the  course 
of  his  wonderful  journey.  There  never  was 
a  Spaniard  among  his  contemporaries,  ex 
cepting  perhaps  De  So  to,  who  had  such  suc 
cess  with  the  aborigines.  Columbus  and 
Cortes,  Pizarro  and  Velasquez  (who  con 
quered  Cuba),  and  all  others  who  came  in 
their  train,  lamentably  failed  in  their  deal 
ings  with  the  Indians.  Balboa's  success 
with  his  men  was  no  less  than  with  the 
Indians  he  encountered,  for  he  had  a  faculty 
for  winning  their  affections  and  holding  them, 
which  no  other  commander  of  his  time  dis 
played.  Pizarro  approached  him  in  this  re 
spect  ;  but  Pizarro  received  his  initial  train 
ing  under  Balboa  himself. 

Bidding  Comogre  farewell,  Balboa  led  his 
men    through    the    province    belonging    to 
Ponca,  where  he  was  met  by  four  Castilians, 
196 


A    RIVAL    IN    THE    FIELD 
\ 

who  informed  him  that  a  ship  and  a  cara 
vel  well  laden  with  supplies  had  arrived  at 
Darien  during  his  absence,  and  that  he  was 
awaited  there  with  great  anxiety.  Hasten 
ing  thence  to  Coyba,  the  territory  of  his 
father-in-law,  he  embarked  at  the  port  of 
Careta  for  Antigua  del  Darien,  where  he  ar 
rived  the  following  day,  which  was  January 
19,  1514,  after  an  absence  of  four  months 
and  twenty  days.  Every  week,  nearly  every 
day,  that  had  passed  since  his  departure  had 
been  filled  with  exciting  incident,  and,  more 
over,  he  had  returned  to  report  to  his  fellow- 
citizens  of  Antigua  one  of  the  greatest  dis 
coveries  of  the  age.  No  wonder,  then,  that 
the  entire  population  sallied  forth  to  greet 
him  at  the  gates  of  the  town,  and  that  they 
rent  the  air  with  shouts  of  joy  and  welcome. 
Lamentations  were  mingled  with  the  ac 
clamations,  for  some  who  had  gone  out  with 
him  had  found,  instead  of  gold,  only  a  grave 
in  the  forest.  Some  who  returned  were  suf 
fering  from  fevers  and  wounds  received  in 
conflicts  with  the  Indians ;  but  notwithstand 
ing,  it  was  declared  that  the  expedition  of 
Balboa  to  the  shores  of  the  great  South 
ern  Sea  was  the  most  successful  of  any  that 
had  ever  been  made  in  America.  And  when 
197 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

the  plunder  was  displayed:  gold  by  the 
thousand  pieces,  pearls  by  the  hundred, 
brought  in  by  scores  and  scores  of  captives 
who  would  serve  in  the  future  as  slaves,  the 
transports  of  the  people  knew  no  bounds. 
He  was  hailed  as  "  Conqueror  of  the  Moun 
tains,  Pacificator  of  the  Isthmus,  and  Dis 
coverer  of  the  Austral  Sea."  Bringing  with 
him  more  than  forty  thousand  ounces  of 
gold,  innumerable  cotton  robes,  and  eight 
hundred  Indians  of  service  —  possessor,  in 
short,  of  all  the  secrets  of  the  land,  and  full 
of  auspicious  hopes  for  the  future — he  was 
considered  by  the  colonists  of  Darien  as  a 
being  privileged  by  Heaven  and  fortune. 
Congratulating  themselves  on  possessing  such 
a  chief,  the  Antiguans  conceived  themselves 
invincible  and  happy  under  his  guidance  and 
government. 

"They  compared  the  constant  prosperity 
the  colony  had  enjoyed,  the  splendid  pros 
pects  before  them,  the  certainty  of  success 
attending  his  expeditions,  with  the  unfort 
unate  enterprises  of  Ojeda,  of  Nicuesa,  and 
even  of  Columbus,  who  could  never  gain  a 
firm  footing  on  the  American  continent ;  and 
this  glory  was  yet  enhanced  when  the  virt 
ues  and  talents  of  him  who  had  obtained 
198 


A    RIVAL    IN    THE    FIELD 

it  were  taken  into  consideration.  .  .  .  Among 
all  these  eulogiums  none  were  so  hearty  as 
those  which  were  given  to  his  care  and  affec 
tion  for  his  companions.  Affecting  no  mili 
tary  discipline,  but  behaving  more  like  their 
equal  than  their  chief,  he  visited  the  sick 
and  wounded  individually,  and  condoled 
with  them  as  a  brother;  when  any  one  sank 
on  the  road  from  fatigue,  he  was  himself,  in 
stead  of  deserting,  the  first  to  raise  and  en 
courage  him.  He  would  often  go  out  with 
his  cross-bow  in  search  of  game  to  appease 
the  hunger  of  those  who  were  unable  to  seek 
food  for  themselves;  he  himself  would  carry 
it  to  them,  and  by  this  care  and  kindness 
he  so  gained  their  hearts  that  they  would 
follow  him  willingly  whithersoever  he  chose. 
The  remembrance  of  these  excellent  qualities 
survived  for  many  years;  and  the  historian 
Oviedo,  who  cannot  be  charged  with  lavish 
ing  his  praises  on  the  conquerors  of  Terra 
Firma,  wrote,  in  1548,  that  in  conciliating 
the  love  of  the  soldier,  no  captain  of  the  In 
dies  had  hitherto  done  better  than,  if  any 
had  done  so  well  as,  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa 
in  Darien." 

The  rich  spoils,  including  the  forty  thou 
sand  ounces  of  gold  and  the  pearls,    were 
199 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

fairly  divided  between  the  soldiers  and  the 
settlers,  as  the  latter  had  held  possession  of 
Antigua  as  a  base  of  supplies  and  operations 
while  the  former  were  actively  engaged  in 
the  field,  and  had  thus  contributed  their 
share  towards  the  success  of  the  expedition. 
The  "king's  fifth "  was  religiously  set  apart, 
in  the  first  place,  and  soon  an  opportunity 
offered  for  sending  it  to  Spain,  in  charge  of 
a  soldier  who  had  accompanied  him  when 
the  South  Sea  was  discovered,  Pedro  de 
Arbolancha.  As  he  was  an  intimate  friend 
of  Balboa,  who  had  proven  himself  a  trusty 
companion  in  the  midst  of  great  vicissitudes 
he  was  despatched  as  an  envoy  to  the  court, 
not  only  with  letters  to  the  king  containing 
a  full  account  of  the  great  discovery,  but  in 
charge  of  the  sovereign's  fifth  and  a  donative 
of  the  largest  and  most  precious  pearls. 

If  he  could  have  set  out  immediately  after 
the  return  of  the  expedition,  all  might  have 
gone  well  with  Balboa's  schemes  of  conquest 
and  government;  but  his  ship  was  delayed 
until  the  first  part  of  March,  and  in  the 
meanwhile  events  were  shaping  in  Spain 
which  imperilled  not  only  the  fortunes,  but 
the  life  of  the  great  leader.  Balboa's  for 
mer  messengers,  Caicedo  and  Colmenares, 
200 


A    RIVAL    IN    THE    FIELD 

had  arrived  in  Spain  during  his  absence  from 
Antigua,  bearing  to  the  king  the  tidings 
communicated  by  the  cacique  Comogre, 
and  a  request  for  reinforcements  to  the  ex 
tent  of  a  thousand  men.  Their  testimony 
as  to  Balboa's  unswerving  loyalty  to  the 
crown,  and  the  vast  significance  of  the  in 
telligence  they  brought  respecting  the  exist 
ence  of  an  ocean  beyond  the  mountains, 
turned  the  tide  of  sentiment  at  court  in  his 
favor,  and  excited  the  swelling  ambition 
of  King  Ferdinand.  The  sovereign  had  al 
ready  listened  favorably  to  the  complaints 
of  Enciso  and  other  enemies  of  Balboa,  and 
had  issued  an  order  for  his  arrest,  even 
going  to  the  extent  of  threatening  to  im 
prison  his  friend  Zamudio  on  account  of 
the  zeal  he  displayed  in  his  defence.  But 
the  more  recent  information  placed  him  in 
a  new  light.  The  enormity  of  his  offence 
was  lessened  by  the  great  service  he  had 
rendered  the  crown.  He  was  no  longer  re 
garded  as  a  fugitive  from  justice,  an  ab 
sconding  debtor,  who  had  seized  the  govern 
ment  of  Darien  by  force  and  caused  the  death 
of  its  real  proprietor  Nicuesa.  He  had  made 
for  himself  a  new  name,  and  around  his  head 
already  shone  the  halo  of  the  great  discoverer. 
201 


VASCO   NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

But  again,  the  sovereign  was  involved  in 
a  complication  which  arose  from  the  con 
flicting  accounts  from  Darien.  That  there 
was  dissension  there,  that  the  colony  was 
threatened  with  extinction  through  the  quar 
rels  of  unscrupulous  men,  he  was  well  as 
sured.  The  leader  of  those  men,  he  had 
also  been  assured,  was  none  other  than  Vasco 
Nunez  de  Balboa.  Accompanying  the  re 
ports  of  dissension  in  the  colony  had  come, 
as  well,  most  convincing  proofs  of  its  pros 
pective  value  to  the  crown  in  the  richness 
of  its  resources.  "And  as  the  adventurers 
who  went  to  America  dreamed  of  nothing 
but  gold  —  as  gold  was  the  object  of  their 
pursuit  —  as  it  was  gold  which  they  took 
forcibly  from  the  Indians — and  gold  alone 
by  which  the  latter  purchased  their  friend 
ship — gold  which  resounded  in  their  letters 
and  despatches  to  court — and  gold  which  at 
court  was  become  the  sole  subject  of  con 
versation  and  desire — the  Darien,  which  ap 
peared  so  rich  in  this  coveted  metal,  lost 
its  first  name  of  New  Andalusia,  and  was 
commonly  called,  and  even  named  in  the 
despatches,  the  'Golden  Castile." 

Though  it  was  mainly  owing  to  Balboa's 
efforts  that  the  isthmus  won  its  new  appella- 

202 


A    RIVAL    IN    THE    FIELD 

tion,  Golden  Castile,  and  though  he  had  in 
a  measure  retrieved  himself,  yet  the  king 
was  unwilling  to  intrust  him  with  its  gov 
ernment.  Casting  about  for  some  one  to 
represent  the  crown  with  dignity  and  credit, 
he  selected  a  cavalier  who  had  served  with 
distinction  in  the  wars  against  the  Moors, 
Don  Pedro  Arias  de  Avila,  more  common 
ly  known  as  Pedrarias.  He  was  an  elderly 
man,  who  had  won  a  reputation  in  his  youth 
as  a  jouster  in  the  tournaments,  and  who, 
beneath  a  chivalrous  and  courtly  demeanor, 
concealed  a  nature  narrow,  mean,  and  warp 
ed  by  prejudice.  He  had  certainly  no  quali 
fications  for  the  office  of  governor;  but  he 
possessed  the  patronage  of  the  powerful 
Bishop  Fonseca,  who  then  ruled  the  colonial 
affairs  of  Spain,  and  that  sufficed  to  land  him 
in  the  executive  chair  at  Darien. 

He  sailed  from  Spain  about  the  middle  of 
April,  1514,  and  entering  the  Gulf  of  Uraba" 
the  last  of  June,  cast  anchor  before  the  town 
of  Antigua  del  Darien.  His  fleet  was  com 
posed  of  five  large  vessels,  and  contained  a 
gallant  company,  with  everything  needed 
for  conquest  and  colonization.  Balboa  had 
asked  the  king  for  only  a  thousand  soldiers, 
but  Pedrarias  sailed  with  a  company  of 
203 


VASCO    NUfiEZ    DE    BALBOA 

two  thousand,  some  of  them  cavaliers  of 
distinction,  many  wealthy  hidalgos,  and  all 
well  provided  with  arms,  equipment,  and 
money.  They  had  heard  the  exaggerated  re 
ports  from  Darien,  of  gold  that  was  caught 
in  nets,  which  might  be  obtained  almost 
without  effort  from  the  waters  of  every 
mountain  stream,  and  were  eager  to  join 
the  fortunate  adventurers  under  Balboa. 

The  king  himself  thought  so  well  of  the 
venture  that  he  had  expended  upon  the 
armada  more  than  fifty  thousand  ducats, 
and  had  sent  out  with  Pedrarias  a  number 
of  friars,  over  whom  was  placed  his  favorite 
preacher  Juan  de  Quevedo.  He  was  con 
secrated  as  bishop  of  Antigua  del  Darien, 
which  was  elevated  to  the  dignity  of  a  metro 
politan  city,  as  capital  of  the  Golden  Castile. 
While  the  sovereign  provided  for  the  spiritual 
interests  of  the  colony  in  this  manner,  at  the 
same  time  he  ordained  that  no  lawyers  should 
be  permitted  to  practise  there,  as  experience 
had  shown  they  were  detrimental  to  the  wel 
fare  of  new  settlements.  In  spite  of  this 
inhibition,  however,  one  lawyer  went  out  to 
Darien  as  alcalde  mayor,  or  chief  judge, 
where  he  fully  justified  the  king's  apprehen 
sions  regarding  men  of  his  profession.  His 
204 


A    RIVAL    IN    THE    FIELD 

name  was  Gaspar  de  Espinosa,  and  though 
he  knew  little  of  the  law,  he  knew  enough 
to  make  a  deal  of  mischief  in  the  colony, 
and  eventually  became  a  tool  in  the  hands 
of  Pedrarias,  by  which  he  effected  the  down 
fall  of  his  enemies,  among  whom  he  soon 
reckoned  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa. 

The  fleet  swarmed  with  cavaliers  and  men 
of  distinction,  but  there  was  only  one  lady 
of  importance  aboard  the  flag-ship,  the  wife 
of  Governor  Pedrarias,  Dona  Isabel  de  Bo- 
badilla,  a  distant  relative  of  royalty  and 
formerly  a  favorite  at  Queen  Isabella's  court. 
So  attached  was  she  to  the  crusty  old  cav 
alier,  her  husband,  that,  notwithstanding 
she  was  mother  of  several  children,  she  chose 
to  abandon  them  all  and  accompany  the 
governor  to  his  capital  in  the  wilderness. 
Needless  to  say,  she  was  a  lady  of  grace  and 
refinement,  and  deserved  better  of  fate  than 
to  be  wedded  to  a  sanguinary  monster  such 
as  Pedrarias  soon  proved  himself  to  be. 
She  has  left  no  record  of  her  sorrows;  but 
they  must  have  been  great,  since  the  crimes 
she  was  compelled  to  witness  were  frequent, 
and  revolting  even  to  the  hardened  soldiery 
of  Darien. 


XV 

PEDRARIAS,   THE    SCOURGE    OF    DARIEN 
1515 

AT  the  time  of  the  fleet's  arrival  at  Da- 
rien,  the  town  of  Antigua  consisted  of 
about  two  hundred  huts  thatched  with 
straw,  with  five  hundred  white  men  and 
fifteen  hundred  Indians  composing  its  popu 
lation.  It  was  badly  situated,  in  a  deep 
valley  between  high  hills  which  cut  off 
the  salutary  sea-breeze,  but  the  soil  was 
rich,  and,  owing  to  the  exertions  and  ex 
ample  of  Balboa,  gardens  of  fruits  and 
vegetables  were  already  numerous  and  well 
tilled. 

Since  his  return  from  the  sea  beyond  the 
mountains,  Balboa  had  devoted  himself  as 
siduously  to  the  improvement  of  the  colony: 
erecting  huts  for  dwellings,  extending  the 
area  of  cultivated  ground,  and  devising 
means  for  inspiriting  the  lonely  inhabitants 
of  this  isolated  post  in  the  wilderness.  The 
206 


PEDRARIAS,  THE   SCOURGE   OF  DARIEN 

demands  upon  his  time  were  constant  and 
pressing,  for  he  was  looked  up  to  as  the 
savior  of  the  colony,  while  the  simple  natives 
regarded  him  almost  as  a  father,  and  came 
to  him  for  advice  on  all  occasions.  Having 
heard  nothing  from  Spain  since  the  sailing 
of  Arbolancha,  the  arrival  of  Pedrarias  and 
his  fleet  took  him  by  surprise ;  but  it  did  not 
destroy  his  balance.  If  he  had  but  known 
that,  at  that  very  time,  his  messenger  was 
being  received  at  court,  and  that  the  old 
king,  charmed  by  the  story  of  discovery,  the 
pearls  and  the  gold,  already  repented  of  the 
slight  he  had  put  upon  him,  Balboa  might 
have  assembled  his  veterans  and  prevented 
the  landing  of  Pedrarias.  They  were  only 
one-fourth  the  number  of  the  new  arrivals, 
but  every  man  was  a  seasoned  soldier,  and 
there  would  have  been  little  doubt  as  to  the 
result  of  an  encounter. 

But  fate  played  Vasco  Nunez  false  again, 
for  Arbolancha  had  passed  Pedrarias  on  the 
ocean  and  arrived  in  Spain  too  late  to  change 
the  decision  of  the  king,  who  then  regretted 
that  he  had  not  rewarded  Balboa  with  the 
governorship  of  Darien.  He  was  the  gov 
ernor,  in  fact,  elected  to  office  by  the  votes 
of  his  adoring  comrades ;  but  Pedrarias  came 

14  207 


VASCO   NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

with  royal  authority,  and  Balboa  bowed  to 
the  decree  of  the  king. 

There  was  doubt  in  the  mind  of  Pedrarias 
as  to  the  nature  of  his  reception  by  Balboa ; 
for  he  knew  himself  as  a  usurper,  who  had 
come  out  to  reap  the  rewards  of  another,  so 
he  sent  an  envoy  to  announce  his  arrival 
and  ascertain  the  sentiment  ashore.  This 
emissary,  says  the  old  chroniclers,  expected 
to  find  the  governor  of  the  Golden  Castile 
seated,  of  course,  on  a  golden  throne  and 
lording  it  over  a  horde  of  captive  slaves. 
What,  then,  was  his  astonishment  to  find  the 
redoubtable  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  Con 
queror  of  the  Mountains,  and  Pacificator  of 
the  Indians,  overseeing  a  group  of  natives 
who  were  engaged  in  thatching  his  humble 
hut  with  straw!  He  wore  no  robe  of  state, 
but  merely  a  cotton  shirt  over  one  of  linen, 
cotton  pantolones,  or  wide  trousers,  and 
hempen  sandals,  called  alp ar galas,  on  his 
feet. 

He  looked  up  from  his  work  as  the  mes 
senger  approached,  and,  seeing  that  he  was 
a  stranger,  saluted  him  with  courtly  dignity. 
Without  manifesting  emotion  of  any  sort, 
he  received  the  message,  to  which  he  replied : 
"  Convey  to  Don  Pedrarias  de  Avila  my  con- 
208 


PEDRARIAS,  THE    SCOURGE  OF   DARIEN 

gratulations  on  his  safe  arrival,  of  which  I 
am  rejoiced  to  hear,  and  say  also  that  I  am 
ready,  with  my  companions,  to  receive  and 
to  serve  him  who  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
king." 

The  news  soon  spread  that  a  new  governor 
had  arrived,  and,  hastily  arming  themselves, 
some  of  Balboa's  comrades  began  to  assem 
ble  around  their  chieftain,  imploring  him 
not  to  allow  his  authority  to  be  usurped, 
even  by  an  emissary  from  the  king.  Their 
leader  seemed  absorbed  in  his  work,  to  which 
he  had  returned  after  the  departure  of  the 
envoy ;  but  his  thoughts  were  busy  over  the 
problem  with  which  he  was  so  suddenly  con 
fronted.  Though  outwardly  calm,  he  was 
deeply  disturbed  by  the  action  of  the  sov 
ereign  he  had  so  loyally  served,  upon  whom 
he  had  thrust  inestimable  blessings  —  who 
thus  requited  all  he  had  done  with  insult  and 
rebuke.  But  finally,  in  answer  to  the  clam 
ors  of  his  friends,  he  slowly  said :  "  Nay,  nay, 
my  comrades.  Though  doubtless  we  are 
strong  enough  to  repel  Pedrarias  and  his 
carpet  knights,  who  come  to  harvest  with 
their  swords  the  crops  we  have  planted  with 
ours,  and  watered  with  our  blood,  yet  will 
we  not  oppose  him,  for  he  comes  with  au- 
209 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

thority  from  our  sovereign.  And,  I  under 
stand,  there  is  with  him  fair  Mistress  Bo- 
badilla,  erstwhile  a  companion  of  our  late 
queen,  who  is  now  with  God  in  glory.  So  it 
behooves  us,  caballeros,  to  receive  them  gal 
lantly,  as  if,  indeed,  we  were  glad  to  do  so, 
and  to  place  at  their  disposal  the  best  we 
have — which,  God  knows,  is  poor  enough." 

Thus  saying,  Balboa  strode  within  his 
house,  and  when  he  emerged  again  he  had 
on  his  complete  suit  of  armor;  but  his  good 
sword  was  in  its  scabbard,  and  in  his  hand 
only  the  wand  of  office.  Likewise  unarmed 
were  his  battle  -  scarred  followers,  though 
clad  in  armor  which  was  no  longer  bright 
and  shining,  but  rusty,  dented,  and  bat 
tered  by  blows  from  many  a  weapon  wielded 
by  arm  of  savage  foe.  These  veterans  suf 
fered  in  appearance  by  contrast  with  the 
foppish  cavaliers  who  landed  from  the  fleet, 
nearly  two  thousand  in  number,  brave  in 
their  glistening  armor  and  confident  from 
their  numerical  superiority.  When  they  saw 
them,  however,  they  smiled  significantly, 
being  well  assured  that  they  could  defeat 
them  in  open  encounter,  and  by  no  means 
afraid  to  essay  it. 

"They  are  our  guests  and  our  brothers, 

210 


PEDRARIAS,  THE  SCOURGE  OF  DARIEN 

remember,"  remarked  Balboa,  as  the  vet 
erans  seemed  disposed  to  murmur  at  his 
lack  of  precaution.  "  They  come  as  we  once 
came,  hopeful,  and  expectant  of  wealth. 
Think,  then,  of  the  disappointment  in  store 
for  them,  and  not  of  their  arrogance.  And, 
too,  forget  not  the  governor's  lady.  Ah, 
here  they  come!  We  must  be  at  the  boats 
to  greet  them,  comrades.  Into  line!  March!" 
The  bugle  sounded,  the  drum  beat,  and  the 
veterans  went  to  meet  Pedrarias  at  the 
shore. 

As  the  boat  touched  ground  a  plank  was 
thrown  out  and  across  it  walked  Pedrarias, 
followed  by  his  wife,  the  bishop,  and  the 
alcalde,  behind  them  a  train  of  cavaliers 
who  formed  a  body-guard  and  led  the  way 
to  the  town,  preceded  by  the  veterans  of 
Darien.  Balboa  doffed  his  helmet,  and  ex 
tended  a  hand  to  assist  Dona  Isabel  ashore, 
as  he  said :  "  Thy  servants  greet  and  welcome 
thee,  lady.  To  serve  thee  we  are  here;  but 
we  regret  we  have  so  little  to  offer  one  who 
deserves  so  much."  And  to  the  governor: 
"  Don  Pedrarias  de  Avila,  thou  art  welcome, 
coming  in  the  king's  name,  whose  hand  I 
kiss,  whose  orders  I  shall  ever  obey." 

Dona  Isabel  was  a  tall  and  stately  woman, 

211 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

scarcely  past  her  prime,  and  still  retaining 
some  of  the  beauty  for  which  she  was  fa 
mous  when  at  Isabella's  court.  She  was 
not  insensible  to  the  gallant  bearing  of  the 
handsome  cavalier  Balboa,  whose  straight 
and  stalwart  frame  was  in  decided  contrast 
to  her  husband's  misshapen  body,  and  his 
frank  countenance  grateful  to  her  gaze,  after 
long  acquaintance  with  the  sinister  face  of 
Pedrarias.  That  she  smiled  graciously  on 
Balboa  at  the  end  of  his  speech,  and  perhaps 
showed  pleasure  at  his  flattery,  was  not  to 
be  wondered  at;  but  old  Pedrarias  noted 
these  things  with  a  twinge  of  ignoble  jealousy, 
and  frowned  at  his  host  instead  of  smiling. 

"  Where  is  the  palace?"  he  growled  at  Bal 
boa,  as  they  approached  his  straw-thatched 
hut  and  halted  at  the  door.  "  This  is  not  a 
fit  habitation  for  my  wife  to  dwell  in,  let 
alone  a  domicile  for  the  executive." 

"That  I  freely  grant,  your  excellency,  and 
it  vexes  me  that  it  be  so,"  replied  his  host, 
with  a  smile  and  deprecatory  wave  of  the 
hand.  "  But  such  as  it  is,  I  trust  you  and 
your  noble  lady  will  accept  and  avail  of  it, 
until  we  can  erect  a  better,  which  we  will 
do  without  delay." 

They  entered  without  another  word,  and 

212 


PEDRARIAS,  THE   SCOURGE   OF   DARIEN 

seating  themselves  at  the  table,  which  Bal 
boa  caused  to  be  spread  with  as  great  a 
variety  as  the  settlement  afforded,  gazed 
at  the  meagre  banquet  with  amused  disgust. 
For,  though  there  was  an  abundance  of  food, 
it  consisted  entirely  of  vegetarian  products, 
such  as  maize  and  cassava  bread,  wild  roots 
and  fruits;  and  as  for  drink,  there  was  no 
beverage  except  water  from  the  river. 

The  frown  upon  the  governor's  face  deep 
ened  to  a  scowl,  but  his  wife  broke  into  a 
merry  laugh,  in  which  she  was  joined  by 
the  bishop,  who  said:  "So,  Senor  Caballero, 
this  is  the  best  you  can  afford  in  this  so- 
called  land  of  plenty?  Faith,  I  had  heard 
we  were  but  to  open  our  mouths  and  luscious 
fruits  would  fall  into  them ;  while  as  for  gold, 
we  could  kick  it  up  in  the  streets,  as  it  were." 

Balboa  was  presiding  at  the  table  with  a 
gracious  dignity  that,  in  the  eyes  of  Dona 
Isabel,  made  ample  amends  for  the  lack  of 
provand.  An  amused  smile  crept  over  his 
face,  but  he  answered,  gravely:  "  Needs  it  be 
said,  your  lordship,  that  this  is  the  best  we 
can  afford?  Would  that  it  were  not,  for 
the  sake  of  such  distinguished  guests  as  this 
day  I  am  honored  with ;  but,  the  truth  to  tell, 
we  have  not  been  compelled  to  fast  on  Fri- 
213 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

days,  merely,  for  meats  of  any  sort  have 
been  hardly  to  be  found.  As  for  gold — well, 
my  last  remittance  to  the  king  was  no  less 
than  fifty  thousand  ounces;  but  we  did  not 
by  any  means  find  it  easy  of  acquisition,  let 
me  assure  you.  It  is  to  be  found  far  in  the 
forest  only,  and  must  be  won  chiefly  by  toil, 
the  sword,  and  the  shedding  of  blood,  your 
lordship." 

"Then,  perchance,  many  lives  have  been 
needlessly  sacrificed?"  It  was  the  Dona 
Isabel  who  asked  the  question,  and  her  host's 
bronzed  cheeks  flushed  darkly  as  he  slowly 
answered,  "  Gracious  lady,  doubtless  there 
have  been!"  He  said  no  more,  either  in 
explanation  or  extenuation  of  his  deeds,  for 
a  flood  of  disagreeable  memories  surged  over 
him  and  choked  his  utterance.  Admiring 
his  frankness,  but  pitying  his  evident  dis 
tress,  Lady  Isabel  hastily  added,  "And 
pearls,  brave  sir — rumor  hath  it  that  they 
have  been  also  found,  since  we  sailed  from 
Spain." 

"  In  sooth  have  they,"  replied  Balboa. 
"  And  I  have  a  necklace  of  them  that,  though 
they  have  been  slightly  injured  by  the  Ind 
ian  mode  of  piercing  them,  are  good  to 
behold.  He  then  called  a  servant,  who,  in 
214 


PEDRARIAS,  THE   SCOURGE    OF   DARIEN 

obedience  to  his  whispered  order,  went  into 
another  room  and  soon  returned  with  the 
pearls. 

"  By  your  leave,  lady,  let  me  show  you 
these,"  said  Balboa  to  Dona  Isabel,  who, 
at  sight  of  the  pearls,  exclaimed  outright,  in 
pure  ecstasy  of  delight:  "Why,  they  are  the 
most  perfect  and  beautiful  in  all  the  world! 
None  like  these  have  I  seen,  even  at  the 
court  of  my  queen." 

"  But,  I  trust,  some  time  these  may  be 
seen  at  the  court  of  the  king,  my  lady,  and 
that  you  may  wear  them  there!" 

"Why— how  can  that  be?"  asked  Dona 
Isabel,  in  surprise. 

"If  his  excellency  will  allow  me,  and  if 
you,  fair  lady,  will  accept  from  me,  these 
baubles,  then  are  they  yours,"  rejoined 
Balboa,  rising  from  his  seat  and  bowing, 
with  his  hand  upon  his  heart. 

"No,  no,"  she  exclaimed,  hastily,  but  yet 
fondling  the  necklace  admiringly,  "  it  cannot 
be." 

"Ay,  but  it  can,"  said  her  husband,  gruff 
ly,  his  small,  black  eyes  twinkling  with 
avarice.  "As  I  take  it,  this  gift  to  thee, 
Isabel,  comes  from  a  portion  due  the  crown, 
and  hence  belongs  to  me  as  well  as  to  thee — - 
215 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

if  so  be  the  king  himself  doth  not  lay  claim 
to  it,  forsooth." 

"Nay,  nay;  not  so!"  exclaimed  Balboa, 
the  hot  blood  rising  to  his  brow,  his  eyes 
sparkling  with  anger.  "The  king  hath  had 
his  fifths,  justly  apportioned  before  we  took 
our  shares,  and  a  donative  besides.  These 
pearls  are — that  is,  they  were — my  pearls, 
and  if  I  chose  to  bestow  them  upon  the  Dona 
Isabel,  your  excellency,  as  her  husband,  has 
only  the  right  to  refuse  them,  and  that,  too, 
without  questioning  my  motive  or  my  owner 
ship  of  these  pearls." 

"Our  host,  the  gallant  cavalier,  is  right," 
interposed  the  bishop.  "  He  hath,  in  a  most 
magnificent  manner,  done  honor  to  thee, 
Don  Pedro,  and  to  thy  wife,  by  despoiling 
himself  of  treasure  that  must  have  cost  him 
dear,  and  presenting  it  to  the  Lady  Isabel. 
It  ill  becomes  thee,  Pedro,  to  receive  this 
precious  gift  so  sourly.  Verily,"  he  added, 
with  a  sigh,  "it  is  a  gift  worthy  of  accept 
ance  by  the  Church!" 

"  I  have  reserved  for  thee  and  for  the 
Church  a  tithe  of  the  gold  that  was  appor 
tioned  me,  good  father,"  declared  Balboa. 

"And  for  me  what  hast  thou?"  demanded 
Pedrarias. 

216 


PEDRARIAS,  THE   SCOURGE   OF   DARIEN 

"My  services,  your  excellency,  which  are 
potential  gold  and  pearls!  For  the  wilder 
ness  contains  much  which  has  not  yet  been 
revealed,  and  which  I  have  not  had  time  to 
seek." 

"  Since  that  be  so,  suppose  you,  to-morrow, 
give  me  an  account  of  your  stewardship:  an 
exact  statement  concerning  the  country  and 
the  savages,  which  I  may  send  to  the 
king." 

"  It  shall  be  forthcoming,  your  excellency; 
but  not  to-morrow,  I  fear,  since  much  have 
I  to  do,  as  well  as  much  to  write.  Within 
the  week  will  I  have  it  ready  for  your 
perusal." 

"Be  it  so,  then,  and  see  to  it  that  the  re 
port  is  comprehensive  as  to  the  regions  of 
gold  and  the  great  South  Sea,  which,  I  under 
stand,  you  claim  to  have  discovered." 

"Which,  of  a  truth,  I  did  discover,"  an 
swered  Balboa,  indignantly,  "Many  had 
sought  it,  as  you  should  know,  but  none  had 
found  it,  or  the  way  thereto,  until  I,  Vasco 
Nunez  de  Balboa,  showed  the  way.  May 
hap  I  be  deprived  of  fortune  and  of  life,  but 
of  the  honor,  the  immortal  glory,  of  that 
discovery,  none  shall  rob  me!" 

"There  lives  no  man  who  could,  perhaps 
217 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

none  so  base  as  to  desire  to,"  exclaimed  Dona 
Isabel.  Her  voice  trembled,  not  alone  with 
indignation  but  with  fear;  for  at  her  side 
sat  the  one  man  base  enough  to  do  such  a 
thing,  and  that  man  was  her  husband. 
Pedrarias  was  possessed  of  a  crabbed  dis 
position  that  made  him  envy  every  man 
who  had  done  something  worthy  of  renown, 
and  hate  him  who  stood  in  the  pathway  of 
his  own  ambition.  Hence  he  hated  Balboa 
with  a  bitter,  unreasoning  hatred,  and,  as 
his  wife  had  divined,  was  already  scheming 
to  deprive  him  of  his  laurels. 

This  conversation,  at  the  frugal  repast 
spread  by  Balboa  for  his  guests,  will  show 
the  trend  of  occurrences  at  and  during  the 
first  week  after  the  arrival  of  Pedrarias.  He 
landed  at  Darien  already  prejudiced  against 
its  original  settlers,  and  especially  their  lead 
er,  whom  he  was  not  satisfied  to  have  super 
seded,  but  determined  to  degrade,  bring 
to  ruin,  and  if  possible  to  an  ignominious 
ending.  The  plot  of  this  story  will  hence 
forth  contain  five  principal  characters:  Pe 
drarias,  Balboa,  Bishop  Quevedo,  Espinosa 
the  lawyer,  and  Dona  Isabel.  The  governor 
and  Balboa  were  soon  at  open  enmity,  the 
former  persistently  seeking  to  circumvent 
218 


PEDRARIAS,  THE   SCOURGE    OF   DARIEN 

the  latter,  assisted  by  the  lawyer,  and  some 
times  opposed  by  the  bishop,  but  frequently 
foiled  by  Dona  Isabel,  who  was  at  heart  the 
persecuted  victim's  only  friend. 


XVI 

IN    THE    DOMAIN    OF    THE    DRAGONS 
1515 

BALBOA  faithfully  complied  with  his 
promise  to  render  the  governor  an 
accurate  account  of  the  land's  resources, 
giving  him,  within  a  few  days'  time,  a  list 
of  the  mountains,  rivers,  and  ravines  where 
he  had  found  gold  in  the  virgin  state;  a 
statement  of  the  colony  as  he  had  governed 
it;  his  discovery  of  the  South  Sea  and  the 
route  thither;  a  description  of  the  pearl 
islands  and  their  wealth;  and,  finally,  the 
names  of  the  caciques,  more  than  twenty  in 
number,  with  whom,  through  force  of  arms 
or  diplomacy,  he  had  made  treaties  of  peace. 
Having  obtained  this  invaluable  informa 
tion  from  his  rival,  Pedrarias  threw  off  the 
mask  of  friendship  which  he  had  assumed 
for  the  purpose,  and  immediately  ordered  a 
judicial  investigation  into  his  conduct  as  the 
self -elected  governor  of  Darien  without  sanc- 
220 


IN    THE    DOMAIN    OF    THE   DRAGONS 

tion  of  royal  authority.  This  scrutiny  was 
conducted  by  Espinosa,  as  the  only  lawyer 
in  the  colony,  and  as  he  was  completely 
dominated  by  Pedrarias,  his  findings  were 
exactly  in  accordance  with  his  desires.  Very 
soon  the  unfortunate  Balboa  was  involved 
in  a  legal  net  from  which  he  could  not  ex 
tricate  himself  until  he  had  parted  with  more 
than  ten  thousand  ounces  of  gold— the  great 
er  part  of  his  fortune.  Much  of  his  wealth, 
hoover,  was  absorbed  by  the  wily  Quevedo, 
who,  as  bishop,  exerted  his  influence  in  favor 
of  the  accused,  after  having  received  from 
him  a  share  in  his  enterprises,  considerable 
gold,  and  a  drove  of  Indian  slaves. 

The  scope  of  the  inquiry,  too,  did  not  sat 
isfy  Pedrarias,  for  the  inexperienced  lawyer 
went  too  largely  into  the  discoveries  and  in 
valuable  services  of  Balboa  to  the  crown, 
instead  of  confining  himself  to  his  arbitrary 
acts  in  expelling  Enciso  and  indirectly  caus 
ing  the  death  of  Nicuesa.  The  result  was 
that  through  the  remonstrances  of  the  bish 
op  and  the  intercession  of  Dona  Isabel— 
"upon  wrhom  the  discoverer  never  ceased 
to  lavish  costly  presents,  which  he  mingled 
with  all  the  politeness  and  attentions  of  the 
most  refined  courtier"  —  the  governor  was 

221 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

induced  to  cease  his  persecutions  for  a  while. 
It  had  been  his  intention  to  send  his  rival 
to  Spain,  loaded  with  chains  and  charged 
with  crimes  that  would  compel  his  convic 
tion  before  the  highest  court ;  but  the  bishop 
represented  to  him  that  to  do  so  would  be 
the  surest  way  to  advance  Balboa's  interests 
instead  of  defeating  his  ambitions.  The  king 
was  already  aware  of  his  great  discoveries, 
for  the  world  was  ringing  with  the  fame  of 
his  achievements,  so  he  could  not  but  be 
rewarded  and  received  with  highest  honors. 

Pedrarias  reluctantly  abandoned  the  pros 
ecution  openly,  but  in  secret  gathered  much 
information  from  Balboa's  enemies  which 
he  later  used  to  his  injury,  and  set  afloat  re 
ports  which  destroyed  his  effectiveness  and 
impaired  his  popularity.  He  was,  in  reality, 
digging  the  ground  from  beneath  his  own 
feet,  as  well  as  undermining  Balboa's  repu 
tation,  for  a  condition  of  affairs  had  devel 
oped  which  demanded  all  the  energies  of  both 
leaders  in  its  correction.  It  was  brought 
about  by  the  governor's  recklessness  and 
inexperience,  which,  combined,  had  plunged 
the  colony  into  dreadful  calamities. 

In  the  fleet  with  Pedrarias  a  vast  amount 
of  provisions  had  been  brought  to  Darien, 

222 


IN    THE    DOMAIN    OF    THE    DRAGONS 

which  with  economy  would  have  lasted  many 
months.  At  first  the  colonists  revelled  in 
abundance;  then  it  was  discovered  that  one 
ship-load  of  supplies  had  been  spoiled  by 
sea-water,  and  soon  after  another,  which  had 
been  deposited  in  a  hut  on  shore,  was  de 
stroyed  by  fire.  In  a  short  time,  in  fact, 
the  colonists  found  themselves  face  to  face 
with  famine,  the  ravages  of  which,  com 
bined  with  the  evils  of  the  tropical  climate, 
produced  a  pestilence.  In  the  course  of  a 
month  no  less  than  seven  hundred  persons 
perished,  all  of  them  cavaliers  who  had  come 
with  Pedrarias  from  Spain.  A  ship-load  of 
the  survivors  fled  the  colony,  going  to  Cuba, 
and  a  few  broken-hearted  adventurers  reach 
ed  their  homes  in  Spain,  which  they  had 
mortgaged  for  arms  and  equipments  they 
never  had  occasion  to  use.  Those  who  re 
mained  at  Darien  were  soon  reduced  to  the 
last  extremity  of  hunger  and  despair.  They 
wandered  through  the  streets  of  Antigua 
begging  for  food,  and  once- wealthy  cavaliers 
of  proudest  lineage  might  have  been  seen 
bartering  their  rich  ornaments  and  vest 
ments  for  a  few  mouthfuls  of  cassava  bread. 
Some,  who  had  never  before  labored  with 
their  hands,  hired  themselves  out  as  wood- 
is  223 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

cutters  or  bur  den -bearers,  merely  to  sustain 
existence,  while  others,  in  the  pangs  of  star 
vation,  fed  on  grass  and  the  leaves  of  trees. 

One  day,  says  the  historian,  "a  noble 
knight  rushed  into  the  main  street  of  An 
tigua  crying  aloud  that  he  was  dying  of 
hunger,  and,  in  sight  of  the  whole  popula 
tion,  fell,  and  rendered  up  his  soul.  So 
many  perished  daily  that  it  was  impossible 
to  give  them  Christian  burial,  and  carts  were 
used  for  carrying  away  the  dead,  as  in  times 
of  pestilence." 

Pedrarias  himself  was  taken  with  a  fever, 
and,  with  his  wife,  was  carried  to  a  salubrious 
spot  among  the  hills,  where  he  soon  recov 
ered.  Thence  he  sent  orders  for  the  old 
soldiers  to  set  out,  under  his  second  in  com 
mand,  Juan  de  Ayora,  to  visit  the  caciques 
with  whom  Balboa  had  negotiated  treaties 
when  on  his  journey  to  the  sea.  This  he  did 
with  an  eye  to  the  occupation  of  the  territory, 
in  order  to  represent  at  court  that,  while  his 
rival  might  have  discovered  certain  prov 
inces,  with  their  inhabitants,  he  was  the  first 
to  occupy  and  colonize  beyond  the  region  of 
the  coast.  But  Ayora,  though  he  had  with 
him  a  greater  number  of  soldiers  than  Balboa 
had  ever  commanded  in  one  body,  conducted 
224 


IN    THE   DOMAIN    OF    THE    DRAGONS 

himself  with  such  a  reckless  disregard  for 
the  rights  of  the  natives — seizing  the  wom 
en  and  children,  and  putting  many  Indians 
to  the  torture  —  that  the  caciques  united 
against  and  drove  him  from  their  territory; 
so  the  expedition  ended  in  disaster. 

Balboa,  meanwhile,  was  kept  inactive  at 
Antigua,  and  his  adherents — for  he  still  had 
many  favorably  disposed  towards  him,  who 
would  gladly  have  followed  wherever  he  led 
—were  not  slow  in  pointing  out  to  Pedrarias 
the  contrast  between  the  old  times  and  the 
new.  "  Before  you  and  your  minions  came," 
said  they,  "Antigua  del  Darien  was  tranquil 
within  and  without.  Under  the  command 
and  control  of  Vasco  Nunez,  she  reigned  as 
queen  of  the  isthmus,  and  gave  laws  to 
twenty  Indian  nations.  Our  town  was  well 
ordered,  more  than  two  hundred  huts  had 
been  erected,  the  people  were  cheerful  and 
happy,  amusing  themselves  on  their  feast- 
days  by  jousting  with  reeds,  the  soil  was  culti- 
tivated,  and  all  the  caciques  so  pacific  that 
a  single  Castilian  might  cross  from  sea  to  sea, 
fearless  of  violence  or  insult ;  whereas  at  pres 
ent  many  Spaniards  are  dead,  the  rest  dis 
mayed  and  broken-spirited,  and  the  Indians 
in  insurrection.  All  this  has  been  caused 
225 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

by  the  process  against  Vasco  Nunez.  Had 
he  been  allowed  to  proceed  in  his  discoveries, 
the  truth  respecting  the  promised  treasures 
of  Dobaybe  would  ere  this  have  been  re 
vealed;  the  Indians  would  still  have  been 
peaceful,  the  soil  yielding  its  abundance,  and 
the  Castilians  content.  Give  us  again  Vasco 
Nunez  as  a  leader,  for  he  alone  can  pacify  the 
Indians;  he  alone  knows  the  secrets  of  the 
land." 

The  jealous  and  irritable  Pedrarias  was 
greatly  incensed  by  the  sneers  and  reproaches 
of  Balboa's  friends.  "So  they  want  that 
rebel  and  that  assassin  to  lead  them  against 
Dobaybe  ?  Inasmuch  as  there  could  not  be 
another  expedition  so  likely  to  be  defeated 
as  one  against  that  province,  thither  shall 
he  go — and  may  the  devil  catch  him  by  the 
way,  say  I." 

This  the  crafty  old  governor  said  to  him 
self,  by-the-way,  and  not  to  others;  nor  did 
he  reveal  his  intentions  until  after  the  ex 
pedition  had  departed,  when  it  was  found 
to  be  badly  equipped  and  lacking  in  many 
particulars  which  the  careful  Balboa,  had 
he  been  unhampered,  would  have  supplied. 
He  was  rejoiced  to  be  actively  employed 
once  more,  and  especially  in  the  search  for 
226 


IN    THE    DOMAIN    OF    THE    DRAGONS 

that  mysterious  temple  and  its  golden  treas 
ure,  which  had,  so  far,  eluded  the  Spaniards ; 
but  he  was  disappointed  in  having  to  share 
the  command  with  Luis  Carillo,  a  friend  of 
the  governor  and  a  man  of  small  capacity. 
His  veterans  also  were  outnumbered  by  the 
recent  arrivals,  who  were  more  enthusiastic 
than  prudent,  and  knew  nothing  of  Indian 
warfare. 

Having  ascertained  that  in  his  former  en 
terprise  in  search  of  Dobaybe  he  had  made 
a  mistake  in  advancing  by  land,  Balboa  re 
solved  to  approach  it  by  water,  and,  embark 
ing  his  force  in  canoes,  entered  a  large  and 
unexplored  river  at  the  head  of  the  gulf.  It 
ran  through  a  swamp  infested  with  vam 
pires  and  alligators,  and  also — according  to 
reports  of  the  Indians — the  abode  of  a  mon 
strous  dragon  which,  with  its  progeny,  had 
been  brought  there  by  a  hurricane.  From 
what  the  Indians  told  the  Spaniards  they 
inferred  that  these  monsters  were  harpies, 
for  they  had  the  faces  of  men  or  women,  the 
claws  of  vultures  or  eagles,  and  huge,  leathery 
wings.  They  were  so  monstrous  that  only 
the  largest  trees  could  support  them  when 
they  alighted,  and  so  fierce  and  powerful 
that  whenever  they  espied  a  man  on  the 
227 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

ground  they  would  swoop  down  like  a  hawk, 
and,  seizing  him  in  their  claws,  bear  him  off 
to  their  dens  in  the  mountains.  Those  who 
had  been  there  affirmed  that  these  dens  were 
littered  with  the  bones  of  such  unfortunates 
as  had  been  torn  to  pieces  and  devoured  by 
the  dragons,  who  seemed  to  have  established 
themselves  as  the  self-constituted  guardians 
of  the  golden  temple  and  its  idol. 

It  is  doubtful  if  Balboa  believed  this  tale 
of  the  dragons;  but  if  so  he  did  not  let  it 
daunt  him,  and  pushed  on  through  the  dis 
mal  morass  by  means  of  the  noisome  stream 
that  traversed  it.  Suddenly,  on  turning  a 
bend  of  the  river,  the  Spaniards  found  them 
selves  face  to  face  with  an  immense  swarm  of 
savages  in  canoes,  who  proceeded,  with  howls 
and  yells,  to  surround  them.  At  the  same 
time  they  let  fly  clouds  of  darts  and  arrows, 
by  which  many  soldiers  were  killed  or  wound 
ed,  while  many  more  were  drowned  by  the 
vicious  savages  plunging  into  the  water  and 
overturning  the  canoes.  The  two  com 
manders  were  wounded:  Balboa  slightly, 
and  Carillo,  who  was  pierced  through  the 
breast  by  a  lance,  so  badly  that  he  shortly 
died. 

The  Indians  forced  Balboa  to  retreat  to 
228 


IN    THE    DOMAIN    OF    THE    DRAGONS 

shore,  where  he  beat  them  back,  but  was 
compelled  to  return  to  Darien  through  the 
inundated  forests  swarming  with  noxious 
reptiles,  and  without  having  obtained  even 
a  glimpse  of  Dobaybe.  The  dangers  and 
horrors  of  that  retreat  exceeded  anything 
that  the  brave  soldier  had  previously  ex 
perienced;  and  it  was  his  first  defeat!  His 
partisans  attributed  it  to  the  fact  that  he 
had  not  been  given  absolute  command;  but 
those  of  Pedrarias  taunted  him  with  coward 
ice  and  weakness,  two  qualities  which,  as 
those  acquainted  with  his  life  know  full 
well,  were  not  a  part  of  his  nature.  But  he 
began  to  fear  his  evil  star  had  risen  above 
the  horizon,  and  he  was  downcast,  if  not 
dispirited,  while  in  proportion  as  he  was  de 
pressed  rose  the  spirits  of  the  rancorous  old 
governor.  He  exulted  greatly  in  the  mis 
fortunes  of  Balboa,  even  at  the  expense  of 
his  soldiers,  the  loss  of  life  being  as  nothing, 
in  his  eyes,  compared  with  the  pleasure  he 
experienced  by  his  enemy's  downfall. 

His  rejoicing,  however,  was  of  short  dura 
tion,  for  soon  after  Balboa's  return  Pedrarias 
received  a  letter  from  King  Ferdinand,  com 
manding  him  to  consult  with  his  "  faithful 
servant,  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,"  on  all 
229 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

affairs  of  importance,  for,  as  he  would  see 
by  the  enclosed  credentials,  he  had  con 
stituted  him  adelantado  of  the  great  South 
Sea,  and  governor  of  the  provinces  of  Coyba 
and  Panama.  He  was,  however,  to  be  sub 
ordinate  in  authority  to  Pedrarias,  "who, 
on  his  part,  was  charged  so  to  favor  and 
advance  the  pretensions  and  enterprises  of 
that  chief  as  might  prove  to  him  the  esteem 
in  which  the  king  held  his  person.  The  court 
doubtless  intended  thus  to  reconcile  the  re 
spect  due  to  the  character  and  authority  of 
the  governor  with  the  gratitude  and  rewards 
earned  by  Balboa;  however,  that  which 
seemed  so  easy  at  court,  was  impossible  in 
the  Darien,  where  so  many  passions  were 
constantly  in  collision. " 

Pedrarias,  in  fact,  should  never  have  been 
appointed  to  control  the  territory  of  Darien, 
which  so  manifestly  belonged  to  Balboa  as 
supreme  executive;  but,  having  made  that 
appointment — unfit  and  ill-advised  as  it  was— 
in  order  to  "save  face,"  the  king  thought  to 
reward  the  discoverer,  and  at  the  same  time 
placate  the  usurper  with  the  honors  of  a 
captain -generalcy.  That  they  were  empty 
and  valueless,  Pedrarias  knew  full  well,  for 
the  rich  regions  lay  within  the  boundaries 
230 


IN    THE    DOMAIN    OF    THE    DRAGONS 

of  Balboa's  territory,  while  his  own  govern 
ment  included  only  the  country  contiguous 
to  the  gulf,  which  was  devoid  of  intrinsic 
riches,  unhealthy,  and  impoverished. 

For  these  reasons  the  choleric  Pedrarias, 
when  he  received  the  royal  order,  fumed  and 
raved,  declaring  to  this  wife  that  never  should 
that  rebel  and  assassin,  Vasco  Nunez,  be  so 
highly  honored  at  cost  to  himself.  He 
would  withhold  the  letter,  and  if  possible 
keep  the  intelligence  secret;  but  he  found 
this  to  be  impossible,  for  Balboa's  friends  at 
court  communicated  to  him  what  had  been 
ordered  by  the  king,  and  he  forthwith  de 
manded  his  rights.  In  this  demand  he  was 
joined  by  the  bishop,  who  denounced  this 
interference  with  the  evident  intention  of 
the  king  as  an  outrage  upon  the  rights  of  his 
friend,  and  the  rebellious  governor  was 
quickly  brought  to  terms. 

At  a  council  of  officials  called  by  Pedrarias 
sometime  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1515, 
Balboa  was  invested  with  his  titles  and  dig 
nities,  and  thenceforth  was  always  addressed 
as  "Adelantado."  But  the  wily  old  gov 
ernor  had  neatly  turned  the  tables  on  his 
rival  by  bestowing  upon  him,  in  fact,  the 
empty  honors,  and  reserving  to  himself  the 
231 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

substantial  emoluments  of  office,  since  he 
had  forced  from  him  a  stipulation  that  he 
would  not  enter  upon  the  actual  government 
of  his  provinces  without  his  permission! 

Even  the  concession  he  was  compelled  to 
make  sufficed  to  fan  the  smouldering  fires 
of  the  governor's  jealousies  to  a  flame,  and 
he  was  more  than  ever  convinced  that  in 
the  person  of  Balboa  he  had  a  deadly  rival 
and  insidious  foe,  who  should  be  removed 
from  his  path  at  whatever  cost.  It  was  at 
this  juncture,  while  the  friends  of  the  dis 
coverer  were  flocking  about  him  with  re 
joicings,  and  he  himself  was  openly  exultant, 
that  there  arrived  in  the  gulf  a  vessel  con 
signed  to  him,  freighted  with  arms  and 
ammunition,  and  containing  seventy  ad 
venturers,  evidently  intended  for  a  secret 
expedition.  It  was,  in  fact,  commanded  by 
one  of  his  former  comrades,  Andres  Garabito, 
who  had  been  sent  by  him  to  Cuba,  several 
months  before,  with  orders  to  raise  a  force 
and  procure  an  armament  for  a  projected 
expedition  to  the  Pacific  coast. 

It  may  have  been  Balboa's  intention  to 

proceed  over  the  mountains  with  this  armed 

band    and    seize    upon    the    government    of 

which  he  had  been  deprived  by  stratagem; 

232 


IN    THE    DOMAIN   OF    THE   DRAGONS 

but  this  is  unlikely,  as  the  movement  was 
made  before  he  had  received  the  royal  title 
to  it.  The  mere  fact,  however,  that  a  mys 
terious  ship  was  off  the  coast  and  holding 
secret  communication  with  the  adelantado, 
was  sufficient  to  rouse  the  old  governor's 
passions,  and  in  a  transport  of  fury  he  ordered 
him  to  be  seized  and  imprisoned  in  a  wooden 
cage. 


XVII 

A    COMPACT    WITH    THE    ENEMY 
1516 

FORTUNATELY  for  Balboa,  his  friend 
the  bishop  interposed  before  the  govern 
or  carried  out  his  intention,  and  persuaded 
him,  not  only  to  release  the  prisoner,  but 
to  give  him  the  benefit  of  an  impartial  in 
quiry.  The  inquiry  was  entered  into,  but 
was  conducted  by  the  lawyer  Espinosa,  and 
so  protracted  that,  though  the  accused  was 
acquitted  of  any  evil  intentions  in  import 
ing  the  men  and  armament,  yet  he  was 
harassed  to  the  verge  of  desperation  and 
completely  impoverished.  Lawyer  Espinosa 
was  enjoying  a  monopoly  of  all  legal  proc 
esses,  owing  to  the  king's  prohibition  against 
others  of  his  class,  and  had  already  involved 
nearly  every  man  in  the  colony  in  some  sort 
of  entanglement,  from  which  he  could  extri 
cate  himself  only  by  paying  to  the  licentiate 
a  good  fat  fee. 

234 


A    COMPACT   WITH    THE    ENEMY 

The  good  offices  of  the  bishop  did  not 
cease  with  a  single  effort  in  behalf  of  his 
friend,  for  he  recommended  him  to  Pedrarias 
as  the  proper  person  to  conduct  an  expedi 
tion  across  the  mountains,  to  the  sea  he  had 
discovered,  for  the  purpose  of  investigating 
the  islands  abounding  in  pearls.  This  step, 
however,  the  yet  jealous  Pedrarias  refused 
to  take.  He  intended  to  have  the  islands 
explored,  but  not  by  their  discoverer,  as  that 
would  only  add  to  the  laurels  he  already 
wore,  and  increase  his  popularity  both  at 
Darien  and  in  Spain. 

An  expedition  was  formed,  consisting  of 
sixty  men,  commanded  by  one  Gaspar 
Morales,  a  relative  of  the  governor,  with  the 
redoubtable  Francisco  Pizarro  as  his  lieu 
tenant.  The  man  whom  the  world  was  to 
know  as  the  conqueror  of  Peru  had  already 
been  to  the  coast  with  Balboa,  and,  knowing 
the  way  thither,  led  the  party  safely  to  the 
shores  of  the  Pacific.  Leaving  thirty  men 
with  a  cacique  named  Tutibara,  Pizarro 
embarked  with  the  others  for  the  pearl 
islands,  where  he  encountered  a  fierce  re 
sistance  from  the  islanders,  whom  he  over 
came,  after  great  slaughter  had  been  in 
flicted,  and  compelled  to  pay  him  tribute, 
23S 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

The  cacique  of  the  island  brought  him  a 
basketful  of  pearls  as  a  peace  -  offering, 
among  which  were  several  of  great  beauty 
and  extraordinary  size.  These  he  gladly  ex 
changed  for  iron  hatchets,  beads,  and  hawk- 
bells,  sagely  remarking,  when  the  Spaniards 
smiled  at  his  simplicity,  "These  things  I 
can  turn  to  useful  purpose;  but  of  what 
value  are  those  baubles  to  me?  The  shores 
of  this  island  and  the  deep  places  of  the 
waters  around  them  abound  in  pearls  with 
out  number,  which  my  divers  can  get  for  me 
whenever  I  wish." 

Taking  the  Spaniards  to  the  summit  of  a 
high  hill,  and  showing  them  the  distant 
coast  of  the  mainland,  with  its  towering 
mountains  and  bluff  promontories,  he  re 
marked:  "  Beyond  and  beyond,  as  far  as  you 
can  see,  and  much  farther,  lies  a  land  con 
taining  a  rich  kingdom  called  Biru  [Peru], 
where  gold  is  as  plentiful  as  stones  are  with 
us.  That  is  a  country  worthy  your  efforts; 
that  is  something  which  will  richly  reward 
you  —  if  you  can  but  conquer  it."  It  is 
thought  that  then  and  there,  while  listen 
ing  to  the  cacique  of  the  pearl  islands, 
Francisco  Pizarro  formed  the  resolve  to  seek 
out  and  effect  the  conquest  of  that  golden 
236 


A    COMPACT   WITH    THE    ENEMY 

empire  which  he   subjugated  sixteen    years 
later. 

We  shall  have  nothing  further  to  do  with 
this  expedition,  except  to  relate  its  results 
as  they  bear  upon  the  fortunes  of  Balboa. 
It  came  near  sharing  the  fate  of  nearly  all 
those  which  were  sent  out  while  Pedrarias 
ruled  the  isthmus,  for,  on  the  way  back  to 
Darien,  Pizarro  and  Morales  were  fiercely 
attacked  by  several  caciques,  whom  they 
had  outraged  by  their  cruelties,  and  for  seven 
days  pursued  through  the  forests  in  disas 
trous  retreat.  Their  command  wras  nearly 
exterminated,  and  but  a  remnant  arrived  at 
Darien,  after  enduring  incredible  sufferings. 

The  administration  of  Pedrarias  was  re 
plete  with  disaster  from  beginning  to  end, 
and  every  enterprise  he  undertook  ended 
in  misfortune  and  disgrace.  A  valiant  cap 
tain,  Francisco  Becerra,  undertook  to  in 
vade  the  province  of  Zenu,  where,  according 
to  report,  gold  in  unlimited  quantities  could 
be  drawn  from  the  rivers  in  nets.  He  had 
one  hundred  and  eighty  men  and  three  small 
cannon  when  he  entered  the  forest  and  bade 
farewell  to  the  settlement;  but  never  a  man 
of  that  gallant  command  came  back,  nor 
were  the  cannon  ever  recovered.  All  were 
237 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

swallowed  up  in  the  forest,  as  though  the 
earth  had  opened  and  taken  the  invaders 
into  a  subterranean  tomb. 

While  Balboa  was  detained  inactive  at 
the  settlement,  these  various  expeditions 
under  inexperienced  commanders  overran 
the  country,  and  effected  nothing  more  than 
had  been  already — and  better — done  by  the 
discredited  commander  who  was  being  con 
sumed  by  vexation  and  despair.  All  the  lit 
toral  Indians  of  Darien  had  been  reduced  to 
subjection  by  him,  and  the  most  that  was  ef 
fected  by  Pedrarias  was  a  reconquest,  which 
was  worse  than  useless,  as  it  roused  the  rage 
of  the  caciques  and  provoked  retaliation. 
Among  those  who,  though  powerful  and  war 
like,  Balboa  had  overcome  and  compelled 
to  sue  for  peace  was  the  mountain  cacique 
Tubanama".  He  was  blunderingly  attacked, 
by  orders  of  Pedrarias,  and  not  only  repulsed 
the  Spaniards  from  his  stronghold,  but  drove 
them,  bootless,  back  to  Darien,  where  the 
survivors  arrived  breathless  and  panic- 
stricken.  Stripping  the  slain  Spaniards  as 
they  lay  in  the  forest,  Tubanama  displayed 
their  bloody  shirts  on  poles  as  banners,  and 
marched  his  warriors  around  the  walls,  strik 
ing  terror  and  dismay  to  the  hearts  of  all 
238 


A   COMPACT   WITH    THE    ENEMY 

within  the  settlement.  The  garrison  was  be 
leaguered,  foraging- parties  assaulted,  sorties 
ambuscaded,  and  such  was  the  alarm,  says 
the  good  Bishop  Las  Casas  in  his  history, 
that  the  people  feared  to  be  burned  within 
their  dwellings. 

"They  kept  a  watchful  eye  upon  the 
mountains,  the  plains,  the  waving  branches 
of  the  trees,  for  their  imaginations  were 
infected  by  their  fears.  If  they  looked  tow 
ards  the  land,  the  long,  rustling  grass  ap 
peared  to  them  to  be  moving  hosts  of  sav 
ages;  if  they  looked  towards  the  sea,  they 
beheld  fleets  of  canoes  in  the  distance.  Pe- 
drarias  endeavored  to  hush  all  rumors  that 
might  increase  the  alarm;  at  the  same  time 
he  ordered  the  smelting-house  to  be  closed, 
which  was  never  done  except  in  time  of  war. 
This  was  done  at  the  suggestion  of  the  bishop, 
who  caused  prayers  to  be  offered  and  fasts 
proclaimed  in  order  to  avert  the  impending 
calamities." 

The  one  man  by  whom  these  calamities 
could  have  been  obviated,  Vasco  Nunez  de 
Balboa,  was  by  the  governor's  orders  re 
strained  from  action  and  confined,  virtually 
a  prisoner,  within  the  walls  of  Antigua. 
While  courageous  and  daring  enough  in  the 
16  239 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

field,  he  yet  possessed  an  excessive  regard 
for  his  sovereign  and  his  representatives, 
hence  his  servile  submission  to  the  persecu 
tions  of  Pedrarias.  He  has  remained  silent 
for  a  long  while  beneath  the  governor's  op 
probrium  and  calumnies;  now  let  him  speak 
in  his  own  behalf.  While  the  ravage  of 
Tubanama  was  in  progress,  and  his  warriors 
were  raging  around  the  settlement,  he  ap 
proached  the  bishop  one  day  as  he  emerged 
from  the  rude  chapel  that  served  as  church 
and  cathedral.  "Your  lordship,"  he  said,  "  I 
can  endure  this  no  longer!  My  patience, 
beneath  the  insults  and  indignities  which 
the  governor  has  heaped  upon  me,  has 
reached  its  limit.  Even  the  king,  were  he 
to  know  all  that  has  occurred  in  this  colony 
since  that  base  usurper  came  here,  could  not 
but  sustain  me  in  rebelling  against  his  au 
thority.  He  has,  as  you  know,  kept  me  here 
in  durance,  while  others  have  been  intrust 
ed  with  expeditions  that  have  invariably  re 
turned  in  disaster.  In  justice  to  the  sur 
vivors  of  this  once-flourishing  colony,  which 
I  alone  placed  on  a  basis  of  prosperity,  but 
which  Pedrarias  has  reduced  to  lamentable 
ruin,  I  demand  that  I  be  established  in 
power  again.  If  not  here  at  Darien,  then 
240 


A    COMPACT    WITH    THE    ENEMY 

\ 

on  the  coast  of  the  great  sea,  of  which  so  lit 
tle  has  been  learned  since  I  discovered  it." 
His  eyes  flashed,  his  breast  heaved  with  deep 
emotion,  and  the  bishop  saw  that  he  was  at 
last  aroused  from  his  lethargy — that  the  lion 
within  him  was  crouching  for  a  spring. 

He  heard  him  through  without  interrup 
tion,  then  said,  soothingly:  "My  son,  it  is 
even  so  as  thou  hast  said.  I  have  beheld 
these  things  with  grief  and  inward  rage ;  but, 
as  thou  knowest,  Don  Pedro  hath  been  ap 
pointed  by  the  king,  and,  though  he  be 
technically  a  usurper,  still  he  is  supported 
by  the  crown.  Had  but  Arbolancha  arrived 
a  few  weeks  sooner  than  he  did  all  might 
have  been  in  thy  favor;  but  now — now  the 
king's  eyes  have  been  opened  too  late  to 
bestow  upon  thee  thy  deserts.  But  pa 
tience,  my  son,  for  yet  a  little  while.  To 
day,  this  very  morning,  will  I  see  the  gov 
ernor  and  plead  thy  cause." 

The  good  bishop  quickly  redeemed  his 
pledge,  and  within  an  hour  was  in  the  pres 
ence  of  the  governor  and  his  lady.  Without 
a  moment's  delay  he  plunged  into  the  sub 
ject  of  which  he  was  so  full,  representing  to 
Pedrarias  that  "by  keeping  the  finest  capac 
ity  in  the  land  in  idleness  and  obscurity  he 
241 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

was  injuring  none  more  than  himself,  thus 
losing  the  fruits  which  the  friendship  of 
Vasco  Nunez  would  produce  for  him." 

"There  is  no  doubt,"  he  said  to  the  surly 
Pedrarias,  "that  Vasco  Nunez  will,  in  some 
way  or  other,  make  known  to  the  king  the 
oppression  and  contumely  in  which  he  has 
been  held,  to  the  defiance  of  royal  command 
and  the  injury  of  his  majesty's  interest. 
Why,  then,  persist  in  driving  a  man  to 
become  your  deadliest  enemy  whom  you 
may  grapple  to  your  side  as  your  firmest 
friend?" 

"Why,  forsooth?"  exclaimed  Pedrarias, 
with  a  growl.  "Because  he  has  chosen  to 
oppose  me  and  to  oppose  the  royal  com 
mands.  But  even  were  we  disposed  to 
agree — of  which  there  is  doubt — how  could 
I,  now  that  I  have  humbled  and  discredited 
him,  still  regain  his  confidence  and  friend 
ship?  It  is  incredible!" 

"Nay,  Pedro,"  said  the  bishop,  bending 
forward  and  bestowing  a  glance  full  of  mean 
ing  upon  his  listeners.  "To  the  contrary, 
it  is  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world.  You 
have  two  marriageable  daughters.  Give 
him  one  of  them!" 

"What?  One  of  our  daughters  marry 
242 


A    COMPACT    WITH    THE    ENEMY 

that  base-born  caitiff?  Hearest  thou  that, 
Isabel?" 

"I  hear,"  replied  his  wife,  demurely. 
"  But  I  do  not  consider  Vasco  Nunez  so  far 
beneath  us  that  he  could  not  aspire.  He 
is  of  the  hidalguia  [nobility]  by  birth,  and 
not  base-born,  my  lord." 

"Aha!  the  rope  of  pearls!  Hath  it,  then, 
bound  thee  to  Balboa?" 

"  Shame !  Thou  knowest  it  is  not  so.  That 
remark  is  unworthy  of  thee,  Pedro,"  ex 
claimed  the  bishop,  hotly. 

Dona  Isabel  did  not  respond,  but  her  eyes 
flashed  until  their  fire  was  extinguished  by 
the  tears  that  welled  up  from  them.  She 
was  used  to  insult  from  her  lord,  but  not  yet 
calloused. 

Bestowing  upon  her  a  glance  of  sympathy, 
the  bishop  continued:  "My  friends,  Vasco 
Nunez  would  be  a  suitable  match  for  your 
daughter.  He  is  a  man  of  merit,  an  hidalgo 
by  birth,  and — whether  thou  likest  or  not 
to  hear  it,  Pedro — a  favorite  of  the  king. 
Whilst  thou  art  advanced  in  years,  Pedro, 
he  is  in  the  prime  of  life,  in  the  very  vigor 
of  his  days.  Make  him,  then,  thy  son-in- 
law,  and  as  thy  lieutenant  he  can  carry  out 
thy  plans.  Thus  all  his  achievements  will 
243 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

redound  to  the  advancement  of  thy  fam 
ily,  and  to  the  credit  of  thy  administra 
tion." 

"  Enough!"  exclaimed  Pedrarias,  won  over, 
not  so  much  by  the  bishop's  earnestness  and 
eloquence  as  by  the  evident  advantages  to 
himself  in  such  a  match.  "  Send  for  Vasco 
Nunez  and  for  a  notary.  He  shall  espouse 
Maria,  our  eldest  daughter.  She  is  in  Spain; 
but  that  matters  not,  so  the  marriage  agree 
ment  be  written  out  and  signed  before  wit 
nesses.  Send  for  my  son-in-law!" 


XVIII 

BUILDING   THE    BRIGANTINES 
1516 

THE  life  led  by  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa 
in  the  New  World,  accustomed  as  he 
had  been  to  scenes  of  rapine  and  to  the 
indulgence  of  the  baser  passions,  was  not 
conducive  to  the  upbuilding  of  an  elevated 
character.  But  that  he  had  a  shred  of 
manliness  remaining,  was  shown  when,  in 
response  to  the  command  of  Pedrarias,  he 
presented  himself  before  that  worthy  at 
his  official  residence.  When  he  learned  of 
the  compact  that  had  been  proposed  by  the 
bishop  and  sanctioned  by  the  governor,  he 
at  first  seemed  stunned  by  the  intelligence; 
but  recovering  himself  with  an  effort,  he  ex 
claimed:  "And  this  is  to  be  the  purchase  of 
my  freedom  ?  Bound  by  pledges  which  can 
not  be  broken,  I  am  to  be  delivered  into  the 
hands  of  mine  enemy!  Never!  never  will 
245 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

I  consent  to  such  a  compromise.     It  is  dis 
graceful,  humiliating!" 

"Tut,  tut,"  said  the  bishop.  "You  for 
get,  my  son,  in  whose  presence  thou  art 
speaking:  the  head  of  thy  Church,  the  head 
of  the  government — not  only — but  before  a 
lady  of  a  rank  the  equal  of,  if  not  exceeding, 
thine  own." 

"I  crave  her  pardon,"  said  Balboa,  now 
for  the  first  time  allowing  his  gaze  to  rest 
upon  Dona  Isabel.  "  But  do  you,  my  lady, 
approve  this  alliance?  As  the  mother  of 
your  daughter,  and  knowing  me  for  what  I 
am — what  I  have  been  in  this  wild  land- 
do  you  consent  to  such  a  sacrifice?" 

"  She  is  my  eldest,  and  dear  to  my  heart,'* 
responded  the  Lady  Isabel;  "but  I  not  only 
consent  to — I  approve  of  this  arrangement." 

"Then  so  be  it,"  rejoined  Balboa,  with  a 
sigh.  "Never  have  I  seen  the  maiden;  but 
if  she  be  like  her  gracious  mother,  then  truly 
shall  I  be  the  most  fortunate  of  men."  He 
advanced,  and  bowing  low  before  her,  with 
courtly  dignity,  pressed  his  lips  to  the  hand 
which  she  extended. 

"Most    fortunate    of    men,    indeed,"    ex 
claimed  Pedrarias,  with  a  sneer;  "not  only 
in  what  you  gain,  but  what  escape.     Dost 
246 


BUILDING   THE    BRIGANTINES 

hear,  Isabel?  he  condescends  to  marry  our 
daughter!  We  will  make  note  of  that;  but, 
inasmuch  as  I  have  decided,  we  will  for  the 
moment  overlook  it.  Now  the  notary,  and 
the  marriage  compact.  These,  our  signa 
tures,  you  witness,  notary.  Enough.  It  is 
done;  it  is  affirmed.  Maria  shall  be  sent  for, 
and  when  she  arrives  the  marriage  shall  be 
solemnized.  Now,  son-in-law,  what  is  it 
thou  desirest  most  of  all — saving,  of  course, 
to  be  my  son-in-law?" 

"Your  excellency,"  responded  Balboa,  ig 
noring  the  sneering  tone  and  look,  "when 
you  came  hither  it  was  my  intention  soon 
to  build  some  ships,  and,  after  transporting 
them  to  the  coast  of  the  new  sea,  to  explore 
its  shores  and  islands." 

"Then  proceed.  It  is  a  good  intention, 
and  should  be  carried  out  at  once.  But  how, 
son-in-law,  wilt  transport  the  ships  across 
the  mountains?  The  way  is  long  and  rug 
ged — impossible . ' ' 

"Nay,  not  impossible.  After  what  has 
been  achieved,  it  is  feasible.  At  the  port  of 
Acla,  in  Careta's  country,  I  would  fain  cut 
the  timbers,  collect  the  material  for  fittings, 
and  thence  have  them  taken  by  carriers  to 
the  southern  sea -coast." 
247 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

"Good!  In  the  province  of  Careta,  an 
other  father-in-law  of  thine,  by  the  way,  thy 
relations  with  whom  thou  must  sever!  Thou 
canst  not  but  understand  what  I  mean?" 

"I  understand,"  rejoined  Balboa,  "and 
your  law  is  my  will." 

"Certes,  thou  shouldst  have  no  other, 
henceforth,  as  thou'lt  find!" 

This  allusion  to  Cacique  Careta  had  refer 
ence,  of  course,  to  the  fact — which  was  well 
known  in  Darien  --  that  his  daughter,  the 
Cacica,  was  still  held  in  regard  by  Balboa, 
and  had  not  yet  returned  to  her  father. 
Perhaps  Dona  Isabel  had  not  been  aware 
of  the  circumstances,  for  she  looked  inquir 
ingly  at  Balboa,  who  avoided  her  gaze,  and 
retired  in  confusion  from  her  presence. 

Then  ensued  scenes  of  activity  at  Antigua 
del  Darien  to  which  it  had  long  been  a 
stranger.  When  it  became  known  that  Pe- 
drarias  and  Balboa  were  again  in  accord,  the 
settlers  took  heart  and  began  to  improve 
their  condition.  Establishing  himself  at 
Acla,  a  port  in  Careta 's  province,  to  the  west 
of  Antigua,  where  he  had  already  erected  a 
fortress,  Balboa  began  the  construction  of 
four  brigantines.  Timber  for  two  of  them 
was  already  hewn  and  shaped,  when  it  was 
248 


BUILDING    THE    BRIGANTINES 

discovered  that,  having  been  cut  near  the 
sea-coast,  it  was  subject  to  the  ravages  of 
destructive  worms,  and  all  the  work  had  to 
be  done  over  again. 

During  long  weeks  and  months,  troops  of 
negroes  and  Indians  trudged  painfully  over 
the  rugged  trails  of  the  mountains,  from  the 
north  coast  to  the  south,  bearing  heavy  loads 
comprised  of  rigging,  anchors,  and  iron -work 
for  the  brigantines,  arms,  ammunition,  and 
provisions,  a  distance  of  fifty  or  sixty  miles. 
Timber  for  the  second  pair  of  brigantines 
was  felled  on  the  banks  of  a  river  called  the 
Balsa,  which  flowed  into  the  South  Sea ;  but 
hardly  had  it  been  cut  and  shaped  before  a 
flood  came  down  from  the  mountains  and 
swept  it  nearly  all  away.  Then,  a  third 
time,  did  the  indefatigable  Balboa  set  his 
men  an  example  by  Herculean  labors,  and 
after  almost  incredible  toil,  exposure,  suf 
fering  from  famine  and  sickness,  two  brig 
antines  were  finally  constructed  and  floated 
on  the  river.  They  drifted  down  to  the  sea- 
coast,  and  there,  while  timber  for  the  other 
two  was  being  prepared  and  their  fittings 
brought  from  Acla,  Balboa  equipped  them 
with  sails  and  set  forth  upon  the  bosom  of 
the  ocean  he  had  discovered  three  years 
249 


VASCO   NUNEZ   DE   BALBOA 

before.  This,  he  thought,  was  the  con 
summation  of  his  labors  and  the  triumph 
of  his  genius;  but  before  him  yet  lay  the 
country  in  which  he  hoped  to  round  out  his 
career  by  a  grand  and  startling  conquest. 

A  trial  trip  was  made  to  the  islands  of 
pearls,  on  one  of  which,  called  Isla  Rica,  or 
the  Rich  Island,  he  established  a  base  of 
supplies,  and  then,  with  one  hundred  men 
aboard  his  clumsy  brigantines,  he  set  sail 
for  the  coast  of  the  mainland,  where  it 
stretched  away  to  the  west  and  the  south 
ward.  He  was  then,  if  he  had  but  known 
it,  on  the  watery  highway  to  Peru,  but 
which  another  was  to  traverse,  to  its  ending 
at  the  gateway  of  the  golden  empire.  He 
had  found  the  way,  however,  and  was  con 
tent,  for,  with  four  brigantines  soon  to  be 
under  his  orders,  and  three  hundred  men  in 
his  command,  it  seemed  to  him  that  the 
treasures  of  Peru  now  lay  open  before  him. 
He  could  exploit  them  at  his  leisure,  he 
thought,  and  when  a  school  of  whales  ap 
peared  ahead  of  his  vessel — which  he  mis 
took  for  reefs — and  a  contrary  wind  assailed 
him,  he  abandoned  his  cruise  to  the  south 
ward  and  returned  to  Isla  Rica. 

Balboa  was  a  careful  commander,  and  he 
250 


BUILDING    THE    BRIGANTINES 

had  been  three  years  dreaming  of  and  pre 
paring  for  the  invasion  of  Peru.  He  would 
not,  then,  jeopardize  his  chances  by  starting 
out  half  equipped,  with  less  than  one -third 
the  number  of  men  he  desired  and  in  all 
probability  needed.  So  he  returned  to  Isla 
Rica,  which,  having  reduced  its  people  to 
subjection  and  investigated  its  resources,  he 
planned  to  make  his  headquarters. 

With  what  exultation  he  found  himself  at 
last  free  from  the  domination  of  Pedrarias! 
With  what  delight  he  rambled  over  his  isl 
and  realm  and  thought  upon  the  freedom 
that  would  be  his,  the  glorious  opportunities 
unfolded,  the  treasure  he  would  obtain,  when, 
at  last  afloat,  with  armament  complete,  he 
would  bear  down  for  the  land  that  then  lay 
dim  and  shadowy  upon  the  horizon! 

But,  even  while  indulging  in  these  dreams 
of  future  conquest,  sinister  rumors  reached 
him  from  the  northern  shores  of  the  isthmus. 
At  least,  viewed  in  the  light  that  Pedrarias 
was  now  his  friend,  they  seemed  so,  for  they 
related  to  the  arrival  of  a  new  governor,  who 
might  not  look  with  favor  on  his  schemes, 
and  indeed  supplant  him  with  favorites  of 
his  own.  After  consulting  with  the  most 
trusty  of  his  officers,  he  resolved  to  send  a 
251 


VASCO    NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

messenger  to  Acla,  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
exact  condition  of  affairs  in  Antigua,  for 
reports  were  conflicting,  and  he  knew  not 
what  to  do.  The  man  selected  for  this  im 
portant  mission  was  none  other  than  Andres 
Garabito,  who  had  brought  the  contingent 
of  armed  men  from  Cuba.  Balboa  thought 
he  could  trust  him,  as  they  had  campaigned 
together,  passed  through  perils  together,  and 
existed  in  close  comradeship  for  years;  but 
he  had  not  taken  into  the  account  a  recent 
occurrence  which  had  changed  Garabito 's 
friendship  into  bitter  hatred. 

His  enmity  was  secret,  but  was  none  the 
less  vindictive,  and  it  was  occasioned  by  his 
fondness  for  Careta's  daughter,  of  whom 
Balboa  claimed  sole  proprietorship.  When, 
therefore,  he  one  day  discovered  Garabito 
paying  her  attentions  —  which  she  seemed 
not  to  receive  unwillingly  —  he  rebuked  his 
subordinate  severely,  and  sent  him  away  in 
anger.  The  occurrence  faded  quickly  from 
Balboa's  mind,  for  his  generous  nature  did 
not  harbor  resentment  long ;  but  not  so  with 
Garabito,  who  felt  he  had  been  unjustly 
treated,  and  meditated  revenge. 

Before  setting  out  with  Balboa  on  this 
very  expedition,  he  wrote  to  Pedrarias  that 
252 


BUILDING   THE    BRIGANTINES 

his  prospective  son-in-law  was  so  complete 
ly  enamored  of  the  Indian  girl  Cacica  that, 
rather  than  give  her  up,  he  would  fly  with 
her  to  the  wilds  and  abandon  the  settlement 
forever.  This  poisoned  missive  had  done 
its  dastardly  work  most  effectually  during 
Balboa's  absence  on  the  southern  coast,  and 
when,  by  a  sinister  coincidence,  Garabito  was 
chosen  to  return  to  Darien  to  spy  upon  the 
Spaniards  there,  he  found  the  mind  of  Pe- 
drarias  ripe  to  receive  any  accusation  what 
ever  against  the  man  he  hated  yet  had  so 
highly  honored.  He  was  furious  from  wound 
ed  pride  and  jealousy.  His  former  suspicions 
revived,  and  were  augmented  by  the  arrival 
of  the  malignant  Garabito  at  Acla.  This 
despicable  wretch  allowed  himself  to  be  ar 
rested  as  a  spy,  and  when  threatened  with 
punishment  pretended  to  reveal  what  he 
knew  and  suspected  of  Balboa's  intentions. 
He  declared  that  his  chief  intended,  as  soon 
as  the  brigantines  were  ready  for  sea,  pro 
visioned  and  equipped,  to  embark  upon  the 
southern  ocean.  As  an  independent  com 
mander,  said  Garabito,  he  proposed  to  sever 
all  relations  with  the  government  of  Darien, 
and  cast  off  his  allegiance  to  the  king.  Thus 
was  Balboa  accused  of  the  crime  of  treason 
253 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

by  this  dastard  scoundrel,  a  crime  which,  as 
he  well  knew,  was  punishable  with  death! 

As  the  new  governor  had  died  in  the  very 
harbor  of  Antigua  before  he  could  take  up 
the  burden  of  government,  Pedrarias  was 
not  only  undisturbed,  but  at  liberty  now  to 
proceed  unrestrained  with  his  persecution  of 
Balboa.  In  his  blind  fury,  he  cast  all  con 
siderations  of  justice  or  fairness  to  the  winds, 
and  listened  to  the  accusations  of  Balboa's 
enemies,  who  now  rose  up  on  all  sides  to 
condemn  him.  The  colony  was  again  thrown 
into  a  ferment  by  the  several  factions,  for 
Balboa  still  had  many  friends  besides  those 
who  were  with  him  on  the  coast;  and  every 
advantage  which  had  been  gained  by  the 
alliance  between  the  governor  and  the  dis 
coverer  was  thus  thrown  away.  The  inter 
ests  of  the  colony  were  subordinated  by  Pe 
drarias  to  the  gratification  of  his  malice,  and 
all  enterprises  halted  while  he  pursued  his 
enemy  to  the  last  extremity. 

Garabito  had,  as  though  unintentionally, 
let  drop  that  his  chief  had  sent  for  Cacica, 
who  was  instructed  to  join  him  in  his  camp 
at  Isla  Rica,  he  said,  without  delay.  But 
this  was  an  untruth,  for  Balboa  had  broken 
with  her  from  the  day  he  had  promised  Pe- 
254 


BUILDING    THE    BRIGANTINES 

drarias  to  do  so.  As  an  honorable  man — 
according  to  the  code  of  honor  at  that  time 
—he  felt  himself  constrained  to  abide  by  the 
letter  of  his  marriage  agreement  with  the 
governor's  daughter,  and  had  held  himself 
aloof  from  all  temptations.  His  deep  re 
gard  for  Dona  Isabel  constrained  him  also; 
for,  though  she  had  condoned  his  past,  she 
expected  him  to  comport  himself  like  a  true 
knight  in  the  future.  As  the  mother  of  his 
bride  in  prospective,  and  as  the  first  pure 
woman  he  had  met  in  many  years,  he  re 
garded  her  with  worshipful  reverence.  For 
her  sake  he  had  resolved  to  crucify  his  lusts 
and  purge  himself  of  all  iniquities. 

But  Balboa's  righteous  resolve  had  been 
made  too  late,  for  the  Cacica,  though  she 
had  long  since  steeled  her  heart  against  her 
master,  was  piqued  at  his  coldness,  and  it  was 
that  which  had  caused  her  to  receive  the  at 
tentions  of  Garabito,  who  failed  not  to  tell 
her  of  the  marriage  contract  with  the  gov 
ernor's  daughter.  Balboa  had,  then,  at 
least  two  enemies  who,  with  a  desire  for 
revenge,  though  from  different  motives,  aid 
ed  Pedrarias  in  fastening  the  fetters  upon 
him. 

If  this  were  but  a  story  of  love  and  re- 

17  255 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

venge,  rather  than  the  simple  biography  of 
a  historical  character,  we  should  find  the 
material  at  hand  for  a  most  fascinating  ro 
mance  ;  and  if  the  reader  will  recall  the  lead 
ing  features  of  chapters  v.  and  ix.,  in  this 
connection,  perhaps  such  a  story  may  be 
woven,  after  all!  For  we  have  all  the  es 
sentials  for  a  plot:  valiant  hero,  beautiful 
heroine,  despicable  villain;  love,  intrigue, 
the  deadly  enmity  of  a  base  tyrant;  and 
finally,  a  tragic  ending.  This  final  tragedy 
we  are  leading  up  to  now,  and  we  shall  at 
tempt  to  show  how  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa's 
crimes  in  the  early  part  of  his  career  came 
to  be  visited  upon  him  when  at  the  height 
of  apparent  prosperity  and  power,  and 
brought  him  to  the  headsman's  block! 

When  Pedrarias  heard  from  Garabito  that 
the  Cacica  had  been  ordered  by  Balboa  to 
join  him  on  his  expedition,  he  sent  an  officer 
to  bring  her  before  him.  She  came  trem 
blingly,  having  in  mind  the  tortures  to 
which  her  brother  had  been  subjected  when 
summoned  before  a  similar  council  by  the 
magistrates.  She  was  waylaid  by  Garabito, 
who  whispered  in  her  ear:  "You  have  only 
to  say  that  your  master  sent  for  you,  but 
that  you  refused  to  go.  If  you  testify  other- 
256 


BUILDING    THE    BRIGANTINES 

wise,  you  are  lost,  for  the  governor  will  put 
you  to  the  torture!" 

The  power  of  Garabito  was  in  the  ascend 
ent,  over  that  of  Balboa,  and  the  girl  testi 
fied  as  he  commanded,  greatly  to  the  satis 
faction  of  the  governor,  who  grimly  regarded 
this  rival  of  his  daughter  with  something  like 
approval.  Her  evidence  was  the  last  link 
in  the  chain  he  was  forging  to  connect  his 
enemy  with  treason  towards  the  king.  The 
fact  that  he  had  sent  for  her  proved  his  in 
tention  of  making  the  southern  coast  his 
base  of  operations  and  place  of  permanent 
abode.  It  also  showed,  the  governor  ar 
gued,  that  Balboa  had  no  thought  of  ful 
filling  his  obligations  to  his  daughter,  whom 
he  thus  virtually  repudiated.  This  thought 
enraged  him  to  the  verge  of  frenzy.  That 
he  should  have  meditated  an  alliance  with 
this  base-born  adventurer  (as  he  styled  him 
then)  was  exasperating;  but  that  the  grace 
less  fellow  should  have  spurned  that  alliance, 
and  preferred  an  Indian  female  to  his  high 
born  daughter,  stirred  his  malignant  nature 
to  its  depths. 


XIX 

IMPRISONED    AND    IN    CHAINS 
1517 

WHILE  his  enemies  were  plotting  to  take 
his  life,  Balboa  was  beyond  their  reach 
at  Isla  Rica,  where,  all  unconscious  of  the 
dangers  that  menaced  him,  he  was  complet 
ing  preparations  for  the  voyage  southward 
to  Peru.  He  had  sent  for  and  expected 
supplies  and  reinforcements,  but  while  they 
were,  presumably,  on  the  way,  he  did  not 
abate  his  diligence  for  a  moment. 

He  relaxed,  however,  his  strenuous  exer 
tions,  for  the  great  object  of  the  past  months 
of  terrible  toils  had  been  in  a  measure  ac 
complished  in  the  building  of  the  brigantines. 
While  the  work  went  on  beneath  his  eye,  he 
allowed  himself  a  little  recreation,  and  amid 
the  delights  of  Isla  Rica  indulged  in  dreams 
of  future  conquests.  One  evening,  while 
reclining  in  company  with  some  comrades 
on  a  couch  of  palm-leaves  spread  upon  the 
258 


IMPRISONED    AND    IN    CHAINS 

sands,  he  pointed  to  a  particular  star  in  the 
heavens  above  them,  and  said:  " There  is 
the  planet  that  holds  my  fate  in  its  keeping. 
See  you  yon  star,  my  friends?  Well,  I  was 
told  by  Micer  Codro  (the  Venetian  astrologer 
who  was  with  us,  you  remember,  when  we 
first  found  these  shores)  that  when  that 
star  appeared  in  this  position  in  the  firma 
ment  my  life  would  be  in  jeopardy.  But 
should  I  survive  this  period  of  peril,  I  would 
become  the  richest,  the  most  renowned  man 
in  the  Indies! 

"Now,  what  think  ye,  comrades?  That 
was  more  than  three  years  ago,  and,  accord 
ing  to  Micer  Codro 's  prophecy,  I  should  be 
in  peril  of  my  life;  yet  here  am  I,  almost 
within  reach  of  my  desires,  sound  in  health, 
with  four  brigantines  and  three  hundred 
good  men  at  my  command,  and  on  the  point 
of  exploring  the  great  Southern  Ocean,  which 
I  was  the  first  to  find !  Out  upon  all  astrolo 
gers,  say  I.  That  man  is  surely  womanish 
who  gives  credit  to  diviners,  and  especially 
to  old  Micer  Codro.  Star,  I  salute  thee! 
Continue  thou  to  shine;  but  thy  baleful 
radiance  is  not  for  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa!" 

"He  was  a  learned  man,"  replied  one  of 
his  companions.  "  Of  a  truth,  I  have  heard 
259 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

fearsome  stories  of  his  sagacity.  But  what 
is  that?  See,  yonder  on  the  sea:  a  canoe 
approaches.  What  can  fetch  a  boat  hither 
from  the  main,  save  unwelcome  tidings?" 

"I  cannot  conceive,"  rejoined  Balboa, 
"except  that  the  new  governor  has  arrived 
and  it  is  a  summons  for  us  to  return.  But 
we  shall  see  as  to  that,  for  while  the  isthmus 
intervenes  between  him  and  me,  no  power 
shall  stay  us  nor  cause  us  to  delay." 

Propelled  by  the  sinewy  arms  of  naked 
Indians,  the  canoe  darted  over  the  sea  and 
through  the  surf  to  the  strand,  when  a  man 
in  the  garb  of  a  king's  official  leaped  out 
and  approached  the  group.  Going  up  to 
Balboa,  who  was  standing  expectantly,  he 
bowed  low,  then  said:  "Sefior  Adelantado, 
a  letter  I  bring  you  from  his  excellency  the 
governor." 

"Which  I  receive  as  his  dutiful  servant," 
answered  Balboa,  taking  it  in  his  hand,  and 
reading  it  by  the  light  of  a  torch  held  by  one 
of  his  aids.  "  It  seems  my  intended  father- 
in-law  is  desirous  of  seeing  me  and  con 
sulting  with  respect  to  our  projected  ex 
pedition,"  he  explained  to  his  comrades. 
"As  his  wishes  are  my  desires,  I  shall  start 
in  the  morning.  Meanwhile  I  am  gone, 
260 


IMPRISONED    AND    IN    CHAINS 

Francisco  Companon,  you  will  be  in  com 
mand  of  the  ships  and  the  soldiers.  Mes 
senger,  what  tidings  in  Antigua  del  Darien? 
For,  sooth,  my  father-in-law  says  not  a  word 
as  to  happenings  there.  Is  all  well?  Has 
the  new  governor  arrived?  Perchance  not, 
else  Pedrarias  would  not  have  written." 

"The  new  governor,  who  was  to  super 
sede  his  excellency,  died  as  he  entered  the 
harbor,"  answered  the  messenger;  but  he 
was  silent,  or  evasive,  as  to  other  happen 
ings  at  Antigua. 

On  the  shore  of  the  mainland  other  mes 
sengers  were  in  waiting,  who,  finding  that 
Balboa  had  set  out  unarmed  and  without  a 
suspicion  of  the  fate  that  was  in  store  for 
him,  consulted  together  as  to  the  advisabil 
ity  of  informing  him.  They  did  not  do  so, 
however,  until  the  mountains  were  passed 
and  the  little  party  drew  near  Acla,  when, 
won  by  Balboa's  frankness  and  open  con 
duct,  their  sympathies  prevailed  over  their 
fears  of  the  governor's  vengeance,  and  they 
informed  him  of  the  snare  into  which  he  was 
hurrying.  Balboa  was  astounded,  and  at 
first  refused  to  believe  in  the  perfidy  of  the 
man  to  whose  daughter  he  was  pledged  in 
marriage. 

261 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

"I  am  innocent  of  any  evil  intention,"  he 
finally  exclaimed.  "  Faithfully  have  I  served 
Pedrarias,  and  faithfully  have  I  served  my 
king.  No,  I  will  not  retreat,"  he  said,  in 
answer  to  a  suggestion  that  he  should  escape 
while  the  opportunity  offered.  "  I  have 
done  nothing  worthy  of  punishment,  and  I 
will  go  forward,  for  my  innocence  I  can 
prove." 

"To-morrow  it  will  be  too  late,"  answered 
one  of  the  messengers,  "for  at  Acla  awaits 
Francisco  Pizarro,  with  a  command,  to  arrest 
you.  Adelantado,  we  entreat  you:  return 
while  you  may." 

"  Nay,  never!  My  back  I  have  never  turn 
ed  to  an  enemy  yet.  But  I  cannot  believe 
that  Pedrarias  will  continue  my  enemy ;  and 
as  for  Francisco  Pizarro,  have  I  not  reared 
him  in  the  profession  of  arms?  Have  we 
not  campaigned  together,  fought  and  starved 
together?" 

Sorrowfully,  then,  the  little  band  of  un 
armed  Spaniards  held  on  their  way  to  Acla, 
in  the  environs  of  which  they  were  met  by 
Pizarro  and  a  company  of  soldiers,  who 
barred  the  way.  Pizarro  drew  from  his 
corselet  an  order  of  arrest  and  proceeded  to 
read  it,  while  Balboa  regarded  him  with  re- 
262 


IMPRISONED   AND    IN    CHAINS 

proachful  astonishment.  When  it  was  con 
cluded,  he  exclaimed:  ".How  is  this  Fran 
cisco?  You  were  not  wont  to  come  out  in 
this  fashion  to  receive  me!"  His  former 
comrade  made  no  reply,  for  he  was  only 
obeying  the  orders  of  his  superior,  and  had 
no  alternative  but  to  choose  between  the 
two:  Pedrarias,  supreme  in  authority,  and 
Balboa,  discredited  commander.  He  chose 
to  serve  the  former,  and,  as  shown  in  the 
light  of  future  events,  he  may  have  chosen 
wisely,  for  it  was  under  Pedrarias,  then 
governor  of  Panama,  that  he  made  his  first 
voyage  southward,  eventually  achieving  the 
conquest  of  Peru,  and  tearing  Balboa's  laurels 
from  his  brow. 

At  a  muttered  command  from  Pizarro, 
two  soldiers  stepped  forward  with  manacles, 
which  they  placed  upon  Balboa's  wrists  and 
ankles,  and  in  chains  he  was  conducted  to 
Acla  and  thrown  into  prison.  There  he  was 
soon  visited  by  the  wily  Pedrarias,  who 
could  scarce  conceal  his  exultation  at  having 
in  his  power  the  man  he  hated  because  his 
reputation  was  greater  than  his  own.  But, 
concealing  his  true  feelings,  he  said  to  Balboa : 
"  Be  thou  not  afflicted,  my  son.  Thou  art 
here  through  the  charges  brought  against 
263 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

thee  by  Alonzo  de  Puente,  who,  being  the 
king's  treasurer,  hath  compelled  me  to  this 
proceeding.  But,  doubtless,  an  investiga 
tion  will  not  merely  establish  thy  innocency, 
but  serve  to  render  thy  zeal  and  loyalty  to 
the  crown  the  more  conspicuous." 

Balboa  made  no  reply,  for,  frank  and  gen 
erous  himself,  without  the  power  of  dissem 
bling,  he  despised,  detested  a  hypocrite. 
He  knew  that  Puente 's  charge  was  a  mere 
pretence  behind  which  were  cloaked  deeper 
designs  than  had  yet  been  revealed ;  and  so 
it  proved,  for  when,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
days,  Pedrarias  was  satisfied  that  the  grounds 
of  the  legal  process  were  sufficiently  strong  to 
secure  Balboa's  conviction  of  treason  and 
enable  him  to  put  his  unhappy  prisoner  to 
death,  he  threw  off  the  mask.  Returning  to 
the  prison,  he  said  to  Balboa,  with  the  hard 
and  threatening  countenance  which  he  ha 
bitually  wore:  " Hitherto  I  have  treated  you 
as  a  son,  because  I  gave  you  credit  for  fidel 
ity  to  the  king,  and  to  me,  in  his  name. 
Since,  however,  I  find  myself  mistaken,  you 
have  no  longer  to  expect  from  me  the  con 
duct  of  a  father,  but  of  a  judge  and  an 
enemy,  as  I  shall  henceforth  treat  you." 

"As  for  your  feelings  towards  me,"  in- 
264 


IMPRISONED    AND    IN    CHAINS 

dignantly  replied  the  prisoner,  "it  matters 
not  to  me  one  whit;  but  as  to  my  conduct 
towards  the  king,  my  sovereign,  your  charges 
are  false!  If  what  you  impute  to  me  were 
true,  holding  as  I  did  at  my  command  four 
ships  and  three  hundred  men,  by  whom  I 
am  beloved,  why  should  I  not  have  gone 
straight  to  sea  without  permitting  anything 
to  impede  my,  purpose?  Safe  in  the  con 
sciousness  of  my  innocence,  I  returned  at 
your  command;  and  little  did  I  dream  of 
being  treated  so  rigorously  and  with  such 
enormous  injustice.  This  is  my  reward  for 
trusting  you:  a  dungeon,  with  slander,  in 
dignities,  and  chains." 

"Yea,  traitor,"  rejoined  Pedrarias,  hotly, 
"a  dungeon  is  truly  your  merited  reward 
for  despising  the  alliance  I  would  have  made 
with  you.  Truly,  I  shudder  to  think  of 
what  my  family  has  escaped :  of  the  foul  blot 
which  the  marriage  of  my  daughter  with 
one  of  your  stamp  would  have  spread  upon 
my  proud  escutcheon.  And  all  the  time 
you  had  an  Indian  mistress,  for  whom  you 
sent  to  accompany  you  on  the  expedition 
which  would  have  placed  you  well  beyond 
my  reach.  But  know,  traitor  and  scoundrel, 
that  she  has  confessed,  and  thus  the  means 
265 


VASCO    NUNEZ   DE    BALBOA 

by  which  you  would  have  covered  my 
daughter's  name  with  obloquy  have  been 
those  for  encompassing  your  own  destruc 
tion!" 

"  Who,  Cacica,  the  pledge  of  amity  between 
me  and  Careta  ?  She  has  confessed  ?  Noth 
ing  had  she  to  confess,  for  I  sent  her  no  mes 
sage.  After  my  word  was  given  to  you  that 
I  would  not  see  her,  of  a  truth,  I  saw  her 
no  more.  You  are  a  liar,  Pedro  Pedrarias, 
and  were  I  but  free,  with  my  good  sword  in 
hand,  fain  would  I  render  you  unable  to 
utter  more  false  statements  against  me  and 
those  who  were  once  true  to  me!" 

"Ha!  Would  you,  then?  Here,  jailer, 
double  this  fellow's  irons,  and  if  he  protest, 
weight  him  to  the  floor  with  them!  My 
throat  you  would  slit,  eh  ?  Old  as  I  am,  you 
will  find  that  when  it  comes  to  the  cutting 
of  throats,  Don  Pedrarias  de  Avila  needs  not 
rely  upon  his  own  unaided  sword.  There  is 
one  in  my  employ  who  wields  a  more  potent 
weapon — mark  you — and  that  is  Gomez,  the 
headsman.  I  go  to  tell  him  now  to  sharpen 
his  axe  for  four!" 

"For  four?"  exclaimed  Balboa,  as  the 
old  man  retreated  from  the  cell.  "Who 
else  have  you  enmeshed  in  your  net,  base 
266 


IMPRISONED    AND    IN  CHAINS 

wretch?  Will  not  one  victim  suffice  you? 
Who  are  they?  Tell  me." 

"Who?"  repeated  the  old  man,  mockingly, 
peering  at  his  victim  through  the  bars. 
"  Why,  who  but  Hernan  de  Arguello,  Hernan 
Murios,  Valderrabano,  and  Botello.  Were 
they  simply  your  friends,  it  were  enough; 
but  they  are  more:  they  are  traitors  to  the 
king,  and  to  me,  Pedrarias  de  Avila,  govern- 
or-in-chief  of  Darien,  whose  authority  you 
have  endeavored  to  usurp." 

"They,  my  officers,  condemned  to  die 
merely  because  they  were  friends,  and  loyal 
to  me,"  groaned  Balboa  as,  left  in  the  soli 
tude  of  his  cell,  he  sank  helpless  to  the  floor. 
"  Truly  is  this  Pedrarias  a  fiend,  an  intimate 
of  the  devil,  and  scarce  human!  And  they 
will  die,  being  my  friends,  but  no  man's 
enemies." 

Realizing  that  he  had  proceeded  so  far 
it  was  impossible  to  leave  Balboa  alive  in 
the  same  land  with  himself,  Pedrarias  left 
no  stone  unturned  to  accomplish  his  death. 
Urged  to  activity  by  promise  of  the  com 
mand  of  Balboa's  expedition  in  the  event 
of  his  death,  the  vile  lawyer,  Espinosa,  found 
an  indictment  against  the  five  which  war 
ranted  his  master  in  proclaiming  they  were 
267 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

doomed  to  die  for  treason  against  the  king. 
The  proclamation  was  made  at  Acla,  and  not 
in  Antigua,  where  resided  most  of  the  settlers, 
because,  as  Pedrarias  knew,  it  would  pro 
voke  an  uprising  of  the  people. 

While  they  were  supremely  loyal  to  the 
crown,  and,  in  their  timidity,  afraid  to  de 
clare  against  its  representative,  Pedrarias, 
the  people  of  Darien  were  yet  well  inclined 
towards  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  and  most 
of  them  his  friends,  because  of  his  possessing 
many  lovable  qualities  which  the  governor 
lacked. 

When,  affrighted  at  the  vindictiveness  of 
Pedrarias,  Espinosa  explained  to  him  that 
the  verdict  against  Balboa  was  technical 
only,  and  that  on  account  of  his  great  ser 
vices  he  should  be  inclined  to  mercy,  the 
fiend  replied:  "No,  if  he  has  merited  death, 
let  him  suffer  it.  Die  he  must,  and  shall, 
and  on  your  head  be  his  blood ! ' ' 


XX 

THE     END     OF     VASCO     NUNEZ     DE     BALBOA 
1517 

WE  are  compelled,  in  this  chapter,  to 
narrate  the  details  of  a  horrible  crime, 
to  commit  which  the  name  of  justice  was 
invoked  by  its  perpetrator,  Pedro  Arias  de 
Avila,  the  one-time  governor  of  Darien.  We 
have  followed  the  hero  of  this  story,  Vasco 
Nunez  de  Balboa,  through  the  various  stages 
of  his  career:  a  penniless  adventurer,  self- 
elected  governor  of  Darien,  savior  of  the 
settlement  when  on  the  point  of  dissolution, 
subjugator  of  the  caciques,  discoverer  of  the 
Pacific,-  faithful  servant  of  the  king,  ^builder 
of  the  first  brigantines  that  ploughed  the 
waters  of  the  great  Southern  Ocean.  We  are 
now  to  behold  him  led  forth  from  his  prison 
cell  as  a  criminal,  a  traitor  to  his  sovereign, 
and  executed  in  the  very  town  which  was 
founded,  through  his  unwearied  efforts,  in 
chief  Careta's  province. 
269 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

He  was  then  scarcely  forty-two  years  of 
age,  in  the  prime  of  life,  seven  long  years  of 
which  had  been  passed  in  the  wilderness  of 
Darien.  He  had  labored,  he  had  fought,  he 
had  committed  crimes  against  humanity- 
all  that  his  sovereign  might  acquire  a  realm 
beyond  the  sea — and  this  was  his  reward :  to 
perish  as  a  felon,  to  die  as  a  traitor,  "  in  the 
full  career  of  his  glory,  one  of  the  most  de 
serving  of  the  Spanish  discoverers — a  victim 
to  the  basest  and  most  perfidious  envy." 
He  had,  indeed,  deserved  well  of  his  king, 
for  of  all  the  Spaniards  who  explored  the 
regions  of  America,  he  was  one  of  the  great 
est,  the  most  persistent  in  carrying  the  flag 
of  his  country  into  unknown  lands,  in  com 
pelling  the  inhabitants  to  accept  his  religion 
and  acknowledge  the  sovereignty  of  Spain. 

He  was  not  the  first  of  the  Spanish  ex 
plorers  and  conquistadores  to  experience  that 
king's  ingratitude,  nor  the  last  to  meet  a 
violent  death.  Columbus  and  Cortes  died 
in  their  beds,  but  they  were  victims  of  their 
sovereign's  neglect.  De  Soto,  worn  out  by 
his  toils,  perished  on  the  bank  of  the  Missis 
sippi,  which  became  his  grave.  Ponce  de 
Leon,  returning  to  Florida,  the  land  he  had 
discovered,  received  his  death-wound  from 
270 


END  OF  VASCO  NUNEZ  DE  BALBOA 

an  Indian  arrow.  Pizarro  was  assassinated, 
by  men  he  had  reduced  to  poverty  and  ex 
asperated  by  his  taunts. 

The  reward,  then,  of  exploration  and  dis 
covery  mainly  inheres  in  the  accomplish 
ment  itself,  for  few  of  the  world's  great  ex 
plorers  have  lived  to  receive  the  fruits  of 
their  labors,  as  witness  Magellan  and  Hud 
son  and  Cook.  Of  them  all,  however,  per 
haps  there  was  none  who  was  so  basely  re 
quited  as  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa.  Were  it 
not  for  the  fact  that  there  was  in  Darien, 
at  the  time  Pedrarias  wreaked  his  vengeance 
upon  Balboa,  a  veracious  chronicler  of  events, 
whose  name  has  survived  as  author  of  a 
great  history,  we  should  be  loath  to  accept 
as  true  this  story  of  revenge,  ingratitude,  and 
crime.  But  we  have  it  from  Gonzalo  Fer 
nandez  de  Oviedo,  a  contemporary  of  the 
chief  characters  in  this  tragedy,  who  was 
sent  out  by  King  Ferdinand  as  inspector  of 
mines,  and  who  subsequently,  as  historiog 
rapher  of  the  Indies,  wrote  a  great  work, 
which  first  appeared  in  1526.  He  was  in 
timate  with  both  Pedrarias  and  Balboa, 
and  after  the  death  of  the  latter  had  access 
to  his  private  papers,  from  the  perusal  of 
which,  and  from  his  knowledge  of  our  hero, 
18  271 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

he  drew  conclusions  as  to  his  merits,  which 
were  long  since  sanctioned  by  the  voice  of 
posterity. 

The  day  arrived  in  which  the  sentence  of 
death  was  to  be  carried  out,  and  found  the 
little  town  of  Acla  overspread  with  gloom. 
The  horrified  inhabitants  moved  about  as 
in  a  dream,  unable  to  wholly  comprehend 
the  nature  of  their  dread  surroundings,  hard 
ly  daring  to  allow  their  tears  to  flow,  much 
less  their  voices  to  be  raised  in  protest.  For 
they  realized  that  in  Pedrarias,  the  governor, 
they  had  a  man  to  deal  with  not  in  his  right 
mind,  warped  by  envy,  malice,  jealousy, 
until  he  had  become  a  frenzied  maniac. 
They  dared  not  provoke  his  wrath  by  pro 
test,  even  in  a  whisper,  for  they  were  cow 
ards  all,  rendered  so  by  their  subserviency 
to  the  crown,  which  might  commit  any 
atrocity  and  yet  be  accounted  blameless. 

Pedrarias  had  sentenced  his  prisoner  to 
death  in  the  name  of  the  king,  yet  he  allowed 
him  no  appeal,  either  to  the  king  or  to  the 
Council  of  the  Indies;  for  he  knew  that  sen 
tence  would  be  reversed  and  the  discoverer 
set  free  should  his  voice  reach  the  throne. 
It  never  reached  it,  save  as  wafted  across 
the  sea  and  ocean  in  the  indignant  outcry 
272 


END  OF  VASCO  NUNEZ  DE  BALBOA 

of  the  people — after  the  deed  was  done  by 
which  Balboa  lost  his  head.  Then  it  did 
not  avail  to  redress  Balboa's  wrongs  nor  to 
bring  Pedrarias  to  justice,  for  he  continued 
in  his  crimes  for  years,  and  at  the  last  died 
in  his  bed,  like  many  another  wretch  of  lesser 
note. 

But  the  day  had  arrived,  Balboa's  last 
on  earth.  The  hot  afternoon  wore  away, 
and  the  sun  sank  towards  the  mountains 
which  the  prisoner  had  been  the  first  to  ex 
plore,  and  touched  with  its  rays  the  roofs 
of  the  dwellings  he  himself  had  erected.  The 
dungeon  door  was  thrown  open,  and  forth 
came  Balboa,  preceded  by  his  jailer  and 
loaded  with  clanking  chains.  But  the  bur 
den  of  the  chains  was  as  naught  to  the  armor 
he  had  carried  in  the  days  of  his  great  deeds, 
and  he  bore  himself  erect,  dauntless  in  mien 
as  of  yore. 

He  searched  the  village  square  with  flash 
ing  eye,  sweeping  his  glance  over  the  assem 
bled  crowd  of  cowards,  held  back  by  mailed 
soldiers  under  the  command  of  his  former 
comrade  and  lieutenant,  Francisco  Pizarro. 
He  was  no  coward — that  Balboa  knew;  but 
he  had  his  own  reasons  for  serving  Pedrarias, 
as  already  narrated.  If  Pizarro  had  but 
273 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

weakened,  if  he  had  allowed  his  sense  of 
justice  to  prevail  over  his  lust  for  power 
and  lucre,  and  said  one  word  for  Balboa, 
all  the  men  under  him  would  have  joined  in 
an  effort  to  save  the  man  they  loved  from 
him  they  loathed  and  hated.  But  Pizarro 
was  a  clump,  a  stick,  a  stone  —  anything 
inanimate,  or,  in  other  words,  a  soldier — and 
when  Balboa's  piercing  glance  fell  on  him 
he  looked  to  the  ground  and  remained  im 
movable. 

Preceding  the  prisoner  walked  the  public 
crier,  who  announced:  "This  is  the  punish 
ment  inflicted  by  command  of  the  king  and 
his  lieutenant,  Don  Pedrarias  de  Avila, 
governor  of  this  colony,  upon  this  man,  as 
a  traitor,  and  usurper  of  lands  belonging  to 
the  crown.'* 

"Nay,  nay,"  exclaimed  the  still  loyal  Bal 
boa  when  he  heard  this  lie  proclaimed;  "it 
is  false!  You,  my  former  comrades,  know 
it  is  false.  Never  hath  thought  of  such  a 
crime  entered  my  mind.  I  have  ever  served 
my  king  with  truth  and  loyalty,  and  ever 
sought  to  augment  his  dominions!" 

He  raised  his  eyes  to  heaven  and  stretched 
forth  his  manacled  hands,  while  a  murmur 
of  compassion  went  around  the  throng  in 
274 


END  OF  VASCO  NUNEZ  DE  BALBOA 

the  square  of  Acla.  But  there  was  no  dem 
onstration  in  his  favor,  for  there  was  no 
man  left  in  Darien,  apparently,  with  a  heart 
in  his  breast.  The  best  of  Balboa's  follow 
ers,  the  original  conquerors  of  the  territory, 
were  awaiting  his  return  to  Isla  Rica,  where 
lay  the  brigantines  ready  for  exploration, 
where  were  gathered  the  men  for  a  voyage 
Balboa  was  never  to  make,  for  a  conquest 
he  was  never  to  achieve. 

There  was  no  man  present  capable  of  lead 
ing  an  uprising  against  the  tyrant,  save 
Pizarro,  and  he  was  unready.  There  was  no 
man  in  authority  who  could  resist  the  tyrant's 
authority,  for  Bishop  Quevedo  had  returned 
to  Spain;  but  a  priest  was  present,  who 
offered  Balboa  the  sacrament  as  he  ascended 
the  scaffold,  and  whispered  words  of  consola 
tion.  It  is  doubtful  if  Balboa  heeded  them, 
for,  coming  from  such  a  source,  from  a  man 
in  the  hire  of  Pedrarias,  his  words  must 
have  seemed  meaningless  and  a  mockery. 

The  rude  scaffold  stood  in  the  centre  of 
the  square,  a  platform  erected  on  posts, 
reached  by  a  ladder,  which,  manacled  as 
he  was,  Balboa  climbed  with  difficulty. 
Why  he  should  have  climbed  at  all,  and  why 
he  so  tamely  submitted  to  his  fate,  seems 
275 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

strange  to  those  acquainted  with  his  cour 
ageous  nature.  But  probably  the  spell  of 
authority  was  on  him,  for  the  magician  who 
had  enthralled  him  had  invoked  the  name 
of  a  monster,  living  afar,  but  held  to  be 
omnipotent.  That  monster  was  the  king, 
at  mention  of  whose  dread  name  the  most 
valiant  of  fighters  became  servile  and  abject. 

So  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  mistakenly 
supposing  himself  bound  by  the  will  of  a 
dastard  king,  went  meekly  to  the  scaffold. 
With  a  firm  step  he  ascended  to  the  plat 
form,  without  a  tremor  viewed  the  block 
on  which  he  was  to  lose  his  head,  and  looked 
calmly  on  while  the  grim  headsman  made 
it  ready.  "Now  haste,"  growled  the  man 
with  the  axe,  "  for  there  are  others,  and  the 
sun  is  low  in  the  sky."  Then  Balboa  gave 
a  start  —  remembering  the  others.  But  it 
was  too  late  now  to  save  them,  and,  with  a 
pang  at  his  heart  for  those  he  had  involved 
in  deadly  perils,  he  sank  to  the  platform  and 
laid  his  neck  on  the  block.  The  headsman 
raised  his  axe — a  thrill  of  horror  ran  through 
the  spectators;  it  fell,  and,  as  the  blood 
spurted  from  the  headless  trunk,  their  groans 
and  lamentations  rent  the  air. 

The  executioner's  work  was  not  finished 
276 


END  OF  VASCO  NUNEZ  DE  BALBOA 

with  Balboa,  whose  head  was  held  aloft, 
and  then,  by  orders  of  the  implacable  Pe- 
drarias,  stuck  on  a  pole,  where  all  might 
view  the  gory  trophy.  The  three  officers 
followed,  and  the  head  of  each  was  taken 
off  at  a  stroke.  The  dusk  of  evening  gath 
ered  as  the  last  one  was  beheaded.  But  there 
yet  remained  another  victim,  one  Arguello, 
whose  sole  offence  lay  in  the  writing  of  a  let 
ter  to  Balboa  warning  him  of  what  Pedrarias 
intended.  The  people  assembled  about  the 
scaffold  had  witnessed — with  what  feelings 
of  grief  and  horror  may  be  imagined! — the 
execution  of  four  gallant  soldiers  whose  of 
fences  were  such  Pedrarias  would  not  par 
don  them.  But  now,  overcome  by  their 
sympathies,  they  entreated,  with  sighs  and 
with  tears,  that  this  life  might  be  spared, 
"inasmuch  as  God  had  not  given  daylight 
for  the  execution  of  his  sentence."  The 
stony-hearted  governor,  resentful  and  relent 
less,  replied:  ''Never!  Rather  would  I  die 
myself  than  permit  one  of  those  traitors  to 
escape  unpunished!" 

Chilled  with  horror,  the  people  returned 

to  the  square,  where  the  scaffold  was  but 

dimly  visible  in  the  gloom  of  approaching 

night,  and  where  the  last  act  of  the  horrible 

277 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 

drama  was  being  performed  in  darkness. 
They  heard  the  clank  of  Arguello's  chains 
as  he  fell  across  the  block,  and  then,  after  an 
interval  of  breathless  silence,  the  thud  of  the 
axe,  proclaiming  all  was  over. 

Pedrarias  had  witnessed  all,  hidden  be 
hind  a  palisade  of  reeds,  through  the  crevices 
of  which  he  watched  the  doings  on  the  scaf 
fold,  less  than  twenty  feet  away.  There  he 
crouched,  a  demon  in  human  semblance, 
gloating  over  the  anguish  of  the  people,  the 
groans  of  his  victims,  and  counting  the 
strokes  of  the  headsman's  axe. 

Beneath  a  tree  on  the  verge  of  the  forest 
cowered  a  fearsome  watcher,  the  Cacica, 
formerly  beloved  of  Balboa.  Peering  through 
the  screen  of  leaves,  she  witnessed  the  dread 
ful  ending  of  him  whom  she  had  both  loved 
and  hated.  But  she  did  not  exult,  like  the 
man -fiend  Pedrarias.  Believing  that  her 
testimony  had  sealed  Balboa's  fate,  by  the 
reproaches  of  conscience  she  was  driven 
into  the  forest,  where  (as  nothing  more  was 
ever  heard  of  her)  she  probably  perished,  an 
outcast  from  her  tribe,  and  forgotten  by  her 
family. 

In  Antigua  del  Darien,  a  broken-hearted 
woman  mourned  the  gallant  Vasco  Nunez 


END  OF  VASCO  NUNEZ  DE  BALBOA 

de  Balboa;  for  he  had  been  betrothed  to  her 
daughter,  who,  through  her  father's  venge 
ful  deed,  was  widowed  ere  she  had  been  made 
a  bride. 


INDEX 


ABEBEIBA,  Indian  cacique, 
103,  104. 

Acla,  port  of,  Darien,  247, 
252;  scene  of  Balboa's 
arrest,  262,  and  execu 
tion,  269,  276. 

Aerial  dwellings,  101,  107. 

Albitez,  one  of  Balboa's 
men,  42. 

Antigua  del  Darien,  37; 
description  of,  206;  fam 
ine  in,  223,  224;  under 
Balboa  and  Pedrarias, 
compared,  225. 

Arbolancha,  Pedro,  sent  to 
King  Ferdinand,  200, 
207. 

Areito,  or  areyto,  Indian 
chant,  56. 

Arguello,  Hernan,  con 
demned  to  death,  267; 
executed,  277. 

Armor  of  Spaniards,  96. 

Atrato  River,  100. 

Avila,  Pedro  Arias  de,  sails 
for  Darien,  203;  arrives, 
206;  meets  Balboa,  208- 
21 1 ;  his  jealousy,  212; 
entertained  by  Balboa, 
213-216;  demands  an 
accounting,  217;  at  open 
enmity  with  Balboa, 
220-222;  plots  his  de 


struction,  226;  blunders 
and  crimes  of,  23  7 ;  gives 
Balboa  his  daughter  in 
marriage,     244;     makes 
peace  with  Balboa,  247. 
and   sends    him   to   the 
Pacific,  248;  frenzied  by 
tales  of  Balboa's  perfidy, 
256,    and    schemes    for 
revenge,  257;  orders  him 
back   to    Antigua,    260; 
sends  Pizarro  to  arrest 
him,  262;   visits  him  in 
prison,     263;      consoles 
with  and  then  denounces 
him,  264;   places  him  in 
double  irons,  266;  causes 
sentence  of  death  to  be 
proclaimed,      268,     and 
allows  no   appeal,    273; 
orders     him     beheaded, 
277;     exults    over    and 
witnesses  his  death,  278. 
[Avila  may  be  pursued 
further  in  the  "Lives!'  of 
Pizarro    and  De   Soto   (of 
this    series),    with    whose 
careers   he   was   intimate 
ly  identified.     He  died  at 
Leon,  in  Nicaragua,  1531, 
at  the  age  of  ninety.     His 
eldest  daughter,  Maria,  to 
whom    Balboa    was    affi- 


281 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 


anced,  retired  to  a  con 
vent;  the  youngest,  Isabel, 
married  De  Soto,  whom 
she  accompanied  to  Cuba, 
where  she  died.] 

BALBOA,  VASCO  NUNEZ  DE, 
advent  of,  8,  9,  10,  n; 
farm  and  major-domo 
of,  11-14;  packed  in  a 
cask,  1 5 ;  appearance  of 
before  Enciso,  17-22; 
his  friends,  23-26;  ad 
vises  Enciso,  29,  30; 
becomes  prominent,  34; 
conspires  against  Enciso, 
38;  saves  the  colony,  47 ; 
fine  qualities  of,  48;  in 
supreme  command,  49; 
captures  Careta,  56-60; 
rescues  an  Indian  girl, 
64,  with  whom  he  falls 
in  love,  67-69 ;  discovers 
treasure,  70;  spies  upon 
his  mistress,  72;  sacks 
Ponca's  capital,  78;  in 
vades  Comogre's  prov 
ince,  79,  80,  where  he 
finds  gold,  83 ;  first  hears 
of  the  Pacific,  85 ;  sends 

fold  to  King  Ferdinand, 
8;  despatches  Valdivia 
to  Spain  for  reinforce 
ments,  89;  invades  Do- 
baybe  province,  98,  99; 
discovers  tree-dwellers, 
101;  in  aerial  dwellings, 
107;  tortures  Indians, 
1 2 1 ;  sends  Colmenares 
to  Tichiri,  130-140;  re 
treats  to  forest  to  avoid 
dissensions,  1 43 ;  en 
treated  to  return  to 


Antigua,  144-146;  in 
disfavor  with  the  King, 
150;  commissioned  cap 
tain-general,  152;  sends 
commissioners  to  Spain, 
155;  his  intrepidity,  157; 
projects  great  expedi 
tion,  159;  sets  out  for 
Austral  Ocean,  162; 
treats  with  Chief  Ponca, 
163 ;  in  Quaraqua's  coun 
try,  165;  massacres  Ind 
ians,  1 68;  on  verge  of 
discovery,  170;  his  first 
sight  of  the  Pacific,  171; 
on  its  shores,  174;  com 
pared  with  Columbus, 
175;  takes  possession  of 
Pacific,  179,  1 80,  and 
embarks  on,  182  -  184; 
discovers  pearls,  1 89 ; 
success  with  Indians, 
196;  returns  from  expe 
dition,  197;  popularity 
of,  198;  sovereign's  opin 
ion  of,  201;  superseded 
by  Pedrarias,  203,  whom 
he  receives  at  Antigua, 
208-2 1 2 ;  his  courtesy  to 
Dona  Isabel,  211,  212; 
angers  Pedrarias,  216, 
who  demands  an  ac 
counting,  217;  seeks  Do- 
baybe,  227,  and  fails, 
229;  appointed  adelan- 
tado  by  the  king,  230, 
231;  ordered  confined 
in  a  cage,  233;  protests 
to  Bishop  Quevedo,  240; 
engages  to  marry  the 
governor's  daughter, 242, 
246;  character  of,  245; 
builds  brigantines,  248, 


282 


INDEX 


249.  and  sails  them  on 
Pacific,  250;  freed  from 
Pedrarias,  251;  accused 
by  Garabito,  253;  suf 
fers  for  his  crimes,  256; 
flouts  astrologer's  proph 
ecy,  259 ;  returns  to  Acla, 
261,  where  he  is  arrest 
ed,  262;  imprisoned, 
263 ;  visited  in  prison  by 
Pedrarias,  263,  whom 
he  defies  and  denounces, 
265;  his  career  review 
ed,  269,  270;  scenes  at 
his  execution,  272-275; 
beheaded,  276. 

Balsa,  river  in  Darien, 
249. 

Barbacoa,  Indian  struct 
ure,  54,  101. 

Bastidas,  Rodrigo  de,  ex 
plorer,  1-7. 

Becerra,  Francisco,  lost  in 
Zenu,  237. 

Biru  (Peru)  described  to 
Pizarro,  236. 

Bobadilla,     Francisco    de, 

3-7- 

Bobadilla,  Dona  Isabel  de, 
205 ;  entertained  by  Bal 
boa,  212-216,  whom  she 
befriends,  243;  mourns 
Balboa's  death,  278. 

Bohio,  or  Indian  hut,  53. 

Bonouvama,  friendly  Ind 
ian,  195. 

Brigantines,  building  the, 
248-250. 

CACICA,  the  fair,  Balboa's 
prisoner,  69;  entertains 
spies,  1 1 6 ;  betrays  her 
people,  119;  sought  by 


Garabito,  252;  seals  Bal 
boa's  fate,  257;  witness 
es  his  execution,  278. 

Caciques  of  Darien,  the, 
chap,  v.;  dead,  71. 

Caicedo,  Juan  de,  154, 
200. 

Calaboose,  from  Spanish 
calabozo,  141. 

Caribs  of  Uraba,  52. 

Carillo,  Captain  Luis,  227; 
death  of,  228. 

Carita,  Cacique,  50,  56; 
capture  of,  57;  speech 
of ,  65 ;  bestows  daughter 
upon  Balboa,  66,  and 
becomes  his  ally,  78. 

Cartagena,  harbor  of,  26, 
28. 

Chiapes,  native  chief,  176- 
178,  181,  182,  188. 

Chicha,  fermented  bever 
age,  1 08. 

Colmenares,  Diego  de,  res 
cues  colonists,  39;  and 
Nicuesa,  40-42;  assists 
Balboa,  81,  and  invades 
Dobaybe  with  him,  98; 
advises  Balboa,  127; 
captures  Tichiri,  131; 
kills  chiefs,  132;  builds 
a  fortress,  139;  sent  to 
Spain  by  Balboa,  154, 
155,  200. 

Colombinos,  followers  of 
Columbus,  4. 

Columbus,  Christopher,  al 
lusion  to,  i,  3,  4,  8,  10. 

Columbus,  Don  Diego,  gov 
ernor  of  Santo  Domingo, 

10,    II. 

Columbus,  appeal  to,  by 
Balboa,  88. 


283 


VASCO    NUNEZ    DE    BALBOA 


Comogre,  Cacique,  78,  79; 
sons  of,  81,  84-86;  bap 
tized,  87;  death  of,  194. 

Companon,  Francisco,  261. 

Corral,  companion  of  Bal 
boa,  42;  in  irons,  144. 

Cortds,  Hernando,  never  at 
Darien,  176. 

Cosa,  Juan  de  la,  pilot,  1,4, 

Coyba,  province  of,  50; 
invasion  of,  52. 

DARIEN,  Caciques  of,  chap. 
v;  gulf  of,  33;  Indians 
°f»  53-56;  river,  100. 

Dobaybe,  the  golden,  92, 
93 ;  expedition  to,  95  et 
seq.;  second  expedition 
to,  226-229. 

Dragons  of  Dobaybe,  227, 
228. 

ENCISO,  MARTIN  FERNAN 
DEZ  DE,  Ojeda's  partner, 
ii ;  encounters  Balboa, 
19;  by  whom  he  is  out 
witted,  20-22;  arrives  at 
Cartagena,  26;  parleys 
with  Indians,  30,  31; 
sends  Balboa  and  Pizarro 
to  fight  them,  32;  loses 
a  vessel,  33;  unable  to 
restrain  his  men,  3  5 ,  who 
depose  him,  electing  Bal 
boa  and  Zamudio  to  fill 
his  place,  39;  expelled 
and  sent  to  Spain,  45. 

Encomiendas  of  Indians,  9. 

Escary,  Juan  de,  with  Bal 
boa,  178. 

Espinosa,  Gaspar  de,  law 
yer,  205;  prosecutes  Bal 


boa,  221,  and  impover 
ishes  him,  234;  finds 
indictment  against,  267, 
which  results  in  his  ex 
ecution,  268. 

Explorers,  fate  of,  270, 
271. 

FAMINE  in  the  colony,  223. 
Fonseca,   Bishop,   allusion 
to,  203. 

GARABITO,  ANDRES,  232; 
turns  against  Balboa, 
252,  and  plots  his  ruin, 

253-257- 

Gold,  in  nets,  29,  237;  in 
abundance,  185 ;  by  thou 
sand  pieces,  198;  object 
of  all  explorations,  202; 
sent  to  the  king,  214. 

Golden  Castile,  202. 

Golden  sepulchres,  29. 

HURTADO,  BARTHOLOMEW, 
113-115;  commands  at 
Darien,  140. 

INDIAN  sepulchres,  71-73. 
Indians  of  Darien,  53-56. 
Isabel,  Dona.  See  Boba- 

dilla,  Dona  Isabel  de. 
Isla  Rica  (rich island),  250; 

Balboa  recreates  in,  258. 

KEATS,  the  poet,  mistake 
of,  respecting  Balboa  and 
Cortes,  175. 

LEONCICO,  Balboa's  blood 
hound,  16,  17,  24-26, 
60-63 ;  great  exploits  of, 
166,  167. 


284 


INDEX 


Lianas,  58. 
Llamas,    first    description 
of,  1 86. 

MARTIN,  ALONZO,  first 
Spaniard  on  Pacific  (at 
Darien),  178. 

Micer  Codro,  astrologer, 
predicts  Balboa's  end, 

259- 

Morales,  Gaspar,  expedi 
tion  of,  235;  attacked 
and  defeated,  237. 

Munos,  Hernan,  condemn 
ed  to  die  with  Balboa, 
267. 

NICUESA,  DON  DIEGO  DE, 
23,  38;  sufferings  of,  40; 
character  of,  41 ;  barbar 
ous  treatment  and  fate 
of,  43-45. 

Nino,  Pedro,  2. 

Nombre  de  Dios,  port  of, 
41. 

OCOA,  Bay  of,  2. 

Ojeda,  Alonzo,  n,  23,  26- 
28;  settlement  founded 
bY>  33.  38>  40,  100. 

Olano,  Lope  de,  42. 

Ovando,  the  atrocious,  10, 
27. 

Oviedo,  Gonzalo  Fernandez 
de,  historian,  199;  inti 
mately  acquainted  with 
Balboa  and  Pedrarias, 
271. 

Ozama  River,  3. 

PACIFIC  OCEAN,  first  infor 
mation  of,  given  to  Bal 
boa,  85,  86;  first  sight 


of,  by  Balboa,  170;  date 
of  discovery,  174;  taken 
possession  of,  179;  first 
brigantines  on,  at  Da 
rien,  249. 
Pasamonte,  Miguel  de,  152, 

*53- 

Pearl  Islands,  the,  187,  236. 
Pearls,   discovery  of,    184, 
185;    by  the  basketful, 
236. 

Pedrarias.     See  Avila,  Pe 
dro  Arias  de. 
Perez,  Alonzo  de  la  Rua, 

140,  141,  143,  144. 
Peru,  first  mention  of,  to 
Spaniards,    86 ;     rumors 
regarding,  186. 
Pizarro,     Francisco,     with 
Ojeda,  n,  28,  178;  leads 
an  expedition,  235 ;  hears 
of   Peru,    236;     sent   to 
arrest  Balboa,  2 62, whom 
he  places  in  irons,  263; 
commands  guard  at  his 
execution,  273;   loyal  to 
the  tyrant,  275. 
Poisoned  arrows,  32,  52. 
Ponca,  Indian  chief,  56,  76, 
78,    162;     tortured   and 
killed,  189. 
Puertocarrero,  Pedro,  8. 

QUARAQUA,  CACIQUE,  115, 
167,  177. 

Quevedo,  Bishop,  204; 
guest  of  Balboa,  213; 
absorbs  his  wealth,  221; 
intercedes  for  him,  241, 
242;  arranges  marriage 
with  daughter  of  Pedra 
rias,  243;  returns  to 
Spain,  275. 


V  A  S  C  O    NUNEZ    D  E    BALBOA 


Quintan  a,  Don  Manuel  J., 
author  of  Balboa's  biog 
raphy,  158. 

Rio  NEGRO,  or  Black  Riv 
er,  100. 

SALVATIERRA,  town  of,  12. 
San  Miguel,  bay  of,  181. 
San  Sebastian,  settlement 

of,  33 ;  removal  of  colony 

to  Darien,  4*. 
Sea  of  the  South,  or  Pacific, 

180. 

TECHOAN,  CACIQUE,  iSS. 

TeDeumLaudamus,  chant 
ed,  173. 

Terra  Firma,  2,  5,  23. 

Tichiri.  Indian  settlement, 
119;  captured,  131. 

Toledo,  swords  of,  96,  98. 

Tomtom,  African  drum,  56. 

Tubanama,  Cacique,  86, 
191;  the  gold  of.  193; 
defeats  Spaniards,  238. 

Tuira,  Indian  deity,  53. 

Tumaco,  Indian  cacique, 
184  et  seq.,  188. 


Tutibara,  Indian  chief,  835. 

URABA,  Gulf  of,  23,  33,  92, 

99- 

VALDERRABANO,  ANDRES 
DE,  notary,  180;  con 
demned  to  death,  267. 

Valdivia.  regidor,  sent  to 
Spain,  88,  89;  lost  at 
sea,  90;  his  unhappy 
fate,  94. 

Vara,  Andres  de,  chaplain, 
172. 

Vela,  Cape  de  la,  23. 

WEAPONS  of  the  Spaniards, 
95,  96. 

XERES  DE  LOS  CABALLEROS, 
Balboa's  birthplace,  8. 

ZAMUDIO.  alcalde,  39;  mis 
treats  Xicuesa,  44;  sent 
to  Spain,  46;  Balboa's 
friend  at  court,  150,  156. 

Zemaco,  Cacique,  35,  93; 
defeats  Spaniards,  114. 

Zenu,  province  of,  237. 


THE    END 


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